Together Forever: Ash and Misty's Greatest Adventure!
by truch28
Summary: Pokeshipping. Sequel to Together Forever: Revelations. Ash and friends will be participating in a new tournament while battling old and new rivals, make new friends, battle Team Rocket, and work on his relationship with Misty. Will he be able to win the tournament, defeat Team Rocket, and keep Misty happy? Read to find out! Rates and Reviews are greatly appreciated!
1. Prologue

I know I said I couldn't get started until Christmas break, but I do have a little something for you guys that will start this new fanfic up.

Prologue

_"Breaking news from the Indigo Plateau, the Pokemon league is announcing an all new tournament open to any trainer from any region! More details coming soon." The TV newscaster announced._

This information was on the announcements all over the secret Team Rocket headquarters in Kanto. Giovanni was watching the news on his big screen TV in his private office.

"_Oh yes, here's another chance to take over the Pokemon league." _Giovanni thought while watching the news.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Giovanni said.

"You wanted to speak to me, sir?" Domino asked.

"Yes I did. Did you get any information on who will be entering this new tournament?" He asked.

"Yes sir and quite a lot of information." Domino replied.

"Excellent, are there any big time names on there?" Giovanni asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes of course. According to the info I got, there's Tobias, who won the Sinnoh League, Paul from Veilstone City, Kanto gym leaders Brock and Misty, Ash Ketchum from Pallet town-"Domino said before being interrupted by an angry Giovanni.

"That Ketchum kid is entering this tournament huh? I want payback for what he did to us." Giovanni stated hastily before breaking his glass cup.

"Sir, if I may, we have a lot of vital information on him since we've encountered him before." She said trying to calm her boss down.

"Is it updated? And if so, what kind of information do you have on him?" He demanded.

"Yes, that him and Paul of Sinnoh are rivals. Also that he and Misty of Cerulean City are now dating." She replied.

"Hmmm," The Rocket head honcho thought. "Excellent job Domino. I know he's going to make it to the tournament with his friends. Your mission won't start until he makes it there." He told her.

"What's the mission then boss?" She eagerly asked.

"Well, you're excited as I am to take him down. Anyway, you will enter the tournament as well, incognito of course, trying to recruit Paul. You will also have to befriend Ketchum and all his friends. Your primary objective is to get him out of that tournament." Giovanni told her.

"How am I going to do that sir?" She asked.

"I think you know, Domino." He replied with an evil grin on his face.

"Kidnap his little girlfriend?" She asked.

"If you must." He replied.

"What's your main plan sir?" She asked.

"You certainly have a lot of questions, don't you? Well, I want to take Mewtwo again!" He replied.

"I see, and you need either me or Paul, if he joins, to win this tournament?" Domino asked.

"Precisely, you are the number one general here and I know you can get this mission done. Oh, and with Paul, he'll want revenge on Ash." Giovanni replied.

"Yes sir, May I be dismissed? I have other work to finish up." She asked.

"Yes, but before you do, I want you to bring in those three fools Jessie, James, and Meowth." He asked.

"Yes sir." She replied.

While he was waiting for those three to arrive, he was staring out his huge windows in his office thinking about his perfect plan and the last encounter with Mewtwo. Even though, his memory was wiped out, he read the newspapers and acquired top information about what happened the last time he saw Mewtwo.

"_This is perfect! I get the chance to bring down Ash Ketchum and capture Mewtwo! I need those three idiots to keep spying on him and his little friends. I wonder why I keep them around sometimes. They couldn't get me a snack without-" _Giovanni's thoughts were interrupted by the door knocking.

"Yes, come in." He said.

"Did you want to see us, big man?" James asked.

"Yes I did. I have a job for you three." Giovanni told them.

"REALLY?!" the three shouted in unison.

"What kind of job is it? Do we have to steal a rare Pokemon? Or steal a file? Oh I know, we have to rob a bank?" Jesse kept asking.

"No you idiots! If you'd shut your damn mouths, you'll hear the mission!" Giovanni yelled, which terrified the three.

"Sorry boss man." Meowth said with fear.

"Your mission will be to spy and gather information on Ash Ketchum and his group of friends." Giovanni told them.

"Oh, we have to spy on the twerp? Why though? We always end up losing to him." Jesse complained.

"You three haven't succeeded on any other mission we give you. All you have to do is spy and gather info on him, which doesn't mean pop out and steal that mouse of his or any other Pokemon he owns." Giovanni stressed to them.

"Fine, but you owe us big time." Jesse demanded.

"I don't owe you anything. You owe me quite a bit of money for all the failures you three have. If you fail this simple task, you're all fired!" Giovanni shouted at them.

"Y.. yes sir, w.. we won't fa..fail you." James said like he was being held at gun point.

"You're dismissed." Giovanni said.

After the three left the room, he went back to sightseeing from his top floor office windows with the evil grin he had before.

"Yes, I will rule the world very soon, and when I do, I will be known as the world's greatest crime boss!" He said before evilly laughing.

There's the intro for the story. I've came to the decision that I will write out the entire journey for Ash and friends. It will be easier and more fun to write about. I'm still figuring out some things, like what Pokemon do you want each of the characters to catch? And who do you want to see in the tournament other than those names I mentioned? I need to do some research on what Pokemon they have, I mean I know most of them, but I need to reassure myself. Like I said before, each of them will be catching new Pokemon to add to their teams. If you have any ideas, just private message me.


	2. Chapter 1- Tournament Qualifications

I'M BACK BABY! It's been a while. I have good news and some bad news. Good news is I finished one final and I'll give you guy's chapter 1 right now. Bad news is it'll be the only one I can post this weekend. I have two finals to study for on Monday. Here are the characters ages:

Ash-18

Misty-18

Brock-23

Cilan-23

Gary-18

May-18

Dawn-18

Tracey-23

So without further ado, here's chapter 1!

Chapter 1- Tournament Qualifications

At the Ketchum household, everyone was overly excited about the new tournament that was going to take place. But there was something they wanted to know; how do you qualify?!

"Hey guys, how do you enter in this tournament?" Ash asked the crowd.

"I don't know Ash. How about you check the mail box?" Brock asked.

As soon as Brock suggested that, the doorbell rang. Everyone walked behind Ash to answer the door.

"Hello, I'm looking for Ash Ketchum. Is he here?" the mailman asked.

"Yes, I'm Ash." He replied.

"Here you go sir." He said.

"What's this letter for?" Ash asked curiously.

"Open it up and you'll see," He replied. "Oh, and I see you have guests over. Are they Misty Waterflower, Brock Harrison, May, Dawn, Tracey Sketchit and Gary Oak?"

"Yes sir." They all replied in unison.

"I have letters for you guys as well." The mailman said.

"Thank you." The whole group answered.

"You're all welcome. Have a good day now." The mailman said.

"You too sir." They responded.

As soon they all received their letters, they opened right away. They all had the same thought; what could this letter be about?

"I'll read mine first out loud." Ash volunteered.

He cleared his throat first before reading, "Dear Ash Ketchum, I would like to congratulate you on making it into the final four of the Unova region. You should be very proud of yourself."

He was indeed proud of that achievement. He was most proud of was he only used the Pokemon from the Unova region.

He continued, "But that is not the reason why I am sending you this letter. I know you heard on the news that there will be a world tournament that any trainer is allowed to participate in, that statement is true, but we also invited certain trainers and even gym leaders because of their statuses in their respective regions. Obviously you are not a gym leader, so this is what you have to do in order to participate. You have to earn two badges in the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions. You can face any two gym leaders you desire, but there is only one condition; you are not allowed to face the same type of gym leader in different regions. For example, if you faced Lt. Surge in Kanto, you are not allowed to face another electric type gym leader in a different region. In addition, you have to face one of the elite four members of each region. You may face any member you want. Type doesn't matter when it comes to the elite four. We know that this would take some time to accomplish. It is now May 7th, you have until the end of February to accomplish this goal. If not, you are not allowed to enter in the tournament. Other trainers will receive this just like you did. So I suggest you leave as soon as possible for your journey. Good luck to you and I hope to see you there. From, Mr. Goodshow, President of the Pokemon league."

"Wow Ash, that's quite a challenge." Professor Oak said.

"I know, but I know we can do it!" Ash exclaimed. "Right Pikachu?!" He enthusiastically asked his first Pokemon.

"Pikachu!" (You know it!) The yellow mouse shouted with confidence.

"Well, what about you guys? What do you guys need to do to enter?" Ash asked the group.

Everyone opened their letters and quickly read them. Let's just say the majority of them were more excited to go too.

"Well Ashy boy, I automatically got invited and don't need to do anything." Gary bragged.

"Same here." Tracey added.

"Wait, so all you gotta do is show up and you're in?" Ash asked.

"Yup that's right. Sucks to be you now, does it?" Gary asked.

"Shut up Gary! Besides, I can travel again and I get the chance to catch more Pokemon and become even better than I am now!" Ash shouted at him.

"Alright Ash, calm down, you don't need to make this a big deal." Misty said while massaging his shoulders.

"Yeah whatever. Anyway, what about you Misty and Brock?" Ash asked.

"Well, since we run gym's, we don't have to do anything either. We can walk in and tell them our names and we would be entered automatically." Misty said.

"What, you mean you don't have to do anything either?!" Ash shouted.

"Yeah I guess not." Brock responded.

"Aw man, this sucks. Does that mean I'll be traveling by myself?" Ash asked.

"Nope, Dawn and I have the same qualifications as you do Ash." May said.

"That's good to know. So, who else is gonna join me?" Ash asked the group.

"Ash, you should already know I would join my boyfriend on his journey." Misty said to him.

"Yeah Ash, you should've known I would join you too." Brock added.

"Thanks guys, that means a lot to me." Ash told the both of them.

"Heck, even though I don't need to do anything, I need to get me some Pokemon." Tracey said.

"That's awesome Tracey, what about you Gary?" Ash asked his old rival now friend.

"No thanks Ash, you know I usually train by myself." Gary told him.

"Are you sure, we wouldn't mind at all." Ash told him.

"Yeah I'm sure, but I promise if we run into each other, I'll battle you." Gary promised.

"Okay, I'll take you on that promise." Ash responded. "What about you Iris and Cilan?"

"I would love too, but I don't have enough Pokemon for this tournament." Cilan told him.

"Yeah same here, but I promise, once you get in, we'll come to cheer you on!" Iris said.

"Aw man, but thanks guys." Ash said.

"But how are you gonna get home?" Misty asked the both of them.

"I have an idea; we can travel with you until we get to Vermillion City. After that, we'll take that ship home." Cilan suggested.

"Okay, I'll make sure I face Lt. Surge before you guys leave." Ash promised.

"Thanks Ash!" Cilan and Iris said in unison.

"No problem, hey maybe we should leave now." Ash suggested.

"No, you can't leave now! We're in the middle of a party Ash. You can leave after the party." Delia said with a bit of anger in her voice.

"Oh, sorry mom, let's get back to the party, and the food!" Ash shouted.

_I guess he'll never change his feelings towards food or for competition._ Misty thought to herself while smiling at the black haired boy.

XXX

So the party continued that day without another incident. Well maybe Gary bothering Ash a little bit but he had Misty there to calm him down every time Gary bothered him. Other than that, everyone had a great time. After the party, Professor Oak, Gary, and Tracey left to go back to the lab and Ash wanted to leave right away, but was persuaded otherwise by his mother, Brock, and Misty to stay the night and sleep.

"Ash, I know you're excited about your new journey, but please stay the night." Delia begged.

"Why, I wanna get a good head start on the competition!" Ash said to her.

"Ash, do you even know who you're gonna face first and gonna take with you?" Brock asked him.

"Uh, I know I'm gonna face Lt. Surge but I don't know who I'm taking with me." Ash answered.

"Exactly, maybe you should stay tonight, wake up early, and go to Professor Oaks lab and choose who you want to take with you." Misty said.

"Well if you put it like that, it makes more sense. Thanks you guys." Ash said to the three of them.

With that, he went upstairs getting ready for bed. Delia, Brock, and Misty looked at each other with the same look.

"He may be a great trainer, but he can so idiotic sometimes." Misty said jokingly.

Everyone laughed at the joke for a quick second. After that, everyone who was at the house went upstairs to bed. Misty was trying to be sneaky by going into Ash's room, but she was caught by Delia.

"Now Misty, I know you like sleeping with Ash in his room, but I'm afraid you two will…." Delia trailed off.

"Oh Delia, why would you think that Ash and I would do that?" Misty asked in disgust.

"Well, I don't think you two would, but it's just, you're both 18 and you never know with your hormones and all that stuff." Delia reasoned.

"You could be right, but I would never do that unless I'm married." Misty told her.

"I trust you, but I don't trust Ash." Delia told her concerning.

"Trust me, he won't do it. We're new at this relationship stuff and we wanna take it slow." Misty told her.

Delia gave her a confusing sort of look. She wanted to trust her, but at the same time she still had her doubts. Finally, she gave in.

"Okay Misty, you got me. You can sleep with Ash in his bed." Delia said feeling defeated.

After the conversation Misty just had with Delia, she entered Ash's room. He was still trying to fall asleep and saw Misty come in and lay next to him.

"Hey Misty, what were you talking to my mom about?" He asked.

"Oh, I didn't think you heard our conversation. Your mom was nervous about us sleeping in the same room together because were 18 and hormones and all that; but I persuaded her to let me sleep here with you." Misty summed up.

"Oh, that's crazy; I think you know I'm not ready yet." Ash told her nervously.

"Yeah, I told her were taking things nice and slow." Misty answered him.

Just before Misty closed her eyes, Ash told her something.

"Hey Misty?"

"Yeah Ash?"

"Thanks for coming on this journey with me. It means a lot to me."

"Of course, it'll be like when we were younger."

"Okay, goodnight Misty, I love you." Ash whispered in her ear.

"Night Ash, I love you too." Misty whispered back before they shared a kiss on the lips and then falling asleep.

XXX

The next morning, everyone was in a rush. Ash surprisingly was the first one to wake up and he woke up Misty at 6 am! Soon after they got ready, he woke up the rest of the gang. Delia made a quick breakfast for everyone and after that, they all headed to the lab.

"Ah, Ash, it's good to see you up this early." Professor Oak greeted him at the door.

"Yup, I wanna get a good head start and I'm here to bring some of my Pokemon too." Ash told him.

"Come on to the back. Do you know exactly who you wanna bring?" Oak asked curiously.

"No not yet. I actually wanted to talk to some of them about something." Ash said.

"Okay, take your time." Oak told him.

"Thanks, come on Pikachu!" Ash said.

"Pika!" (Okay) the small yellow mouse responded to his best friend.

"Hey guys, do you know what he wanted to talk to his Pokemon about?" Oak asked the rest of the gang.

"No not really, may be about the tournament?" Brock guessed.

While the gang was trying to figure out what Ash wanted to talk to his Pokemon about, he went to them and were all greeted. Then, it got serious.

"Hey guys, can I talk to all of you?" Ash asked.

They all responded with a yes.

"Okay, there's this new tournament that I'm going to enter and I need all of your help." Ash told them.

They all were willing to do whatever he asked. They weren't just Pokemon and trainer, Ash was best friends with all of his Pokemon.

"So there was something I was thinking about. This involves with the not fully evolved Pokemon." Ash said.

He was talking about Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Bayleef, Quilava, Totodile, Corphish, Buizel, Gible, Oshawott, Snivy, Pignite, Scraggy, Palpitoad, Boldore, and even Pikachu.

"You know I would never make you do anything you didn't wanna do right?" Ash asked.

They all agreed.

"Well, have you considered evolving recently?" He asked.

They all looked at him like he had three heads. He wasn't going to make them evolve just because he wanted to win was he? But at the same time, they never really thought about evolving too.

"I know it comes to you as a shock, but I was wondering if you considered it. In no way I am making you do it. I was just wanted to know." Ash told them.

After hearing that, they were immediately relived. They didn't really want to evolve. They knew Ash always believed in them, whether they were fully evolved or not. As soon as that conversation ended, everyone came up to them.

"So Ash, did you decide who you're going to bring?" Oak asked.

"Not yet, I was just going to talk about that." Ash told him. "I really need to get going and I gotta pick some of you to go."

They all volunteered to go, but they all knew they would all battle at one point or another. So they wouldn't be too disappointed if they weren't chosen.

"Well, obviously Pikachu," He began. "Then how about, Charizard, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Gible." Ash finished.

"Why don't you choose a sixth member Ash?" Brock asked.

"Well, I'm thinking about catching some new Pokemon for the tournament." Ash answered.

"That's not a bad idea Ash." Misty said.

"Hey guys, are we all ready to go?" Tracey asked.

"Yup, we sure are. Let's hit the road everyone!" Ash exclaimed.

With that, Ash, Brock, Misty, Tracey, May, Dawn, Iris, and Cilan all hit the road on their way out of Pallet town.

XXX

That's chapter 1! What do you guys think? I may go back and edit it, but I don't know yet. This will be the only chapter I can put up now until Monday afternoon at about 2 o'clock. After that, I'll keep grinding. I have about 20 chapters planned out.


	3. Chapter 2- An Old Friend Returns

Hello everybody! I am now officially on break! I will do my best to write and publish a chapter a day. Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday, I had a family emergency. But I got that taken care of. So enough talking, let's get onto the next chapter.

Chapter 2- An Old Friend Returns

While Ash and the gang were about to walk out of Pallet town, his mom was calling him.

"Ash, there's something I gotta tell you before you and your friends leave." Delia said.

"Uh, okay, what is it?" He asked curiously.

"I just wanted to say good luck to you; I know you'll do great! And that I'll miss you and love you." She responded.

After she said that, she bear hugged Ash. Eventually he was starting to lose oxygen and couldn't breathe.

"Uh, Mrs. Ketchum, I don't think he can breathe." Misty pointed out.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Ash. I didn't know." Delia said.

"It's okay mom. I really need to get going." Ash told her.

"Okay Ash, don't forget to change your you know whats every day!" She exclaimed.

After hearing that, Ash fell on his face anime style, while everyone else started to laugh at him. It was fair to say that Ash was embarrassed and mad at his mom.

"Mom!" Ash screamed at his mother, who didn't seem sorry for him at all.

"Oh sorry dear, did I embarrass you in front of your friends?" She asked.

"Yes you did! We're leaving now. Bye mom." Ash said angrily.

"Bye Mrs. Ketchum!" Everyone else said.

"Bye everybody, and good luck!" Delia shouted.

After that embarrassing encounter with his mother, Ash and the gang were walking out of Pallet town. Misty could still tell that Ash was still upset about his mother. So Misty did what she did best and that was talking to him and comforting him. Everyone else was in their own conversations.

"Hey, you okay?" Misty asked while grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, I guess." Ash answered while grabbing her hand.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's just she's so annoying sometimes." He responded.

"I know, but you know that she's only looking out for you." Misty told him.

"Yeah, I know. Don't get it wrong, I love her and all that, but she needs to stop treating me like a little kid." Ash said.

"Ash, you're so lucky that you have her. I don't have parents at all. I was mostly raised by my sisters. I wish I still had my parents here." Misty said beginning to tear up.

"I know I am Mist. I'm sorry for making you tear up." Ash whispered to her.

"It's okay Ash." Misty whispered back.

"Hey guys, look up there!" Dawn screamed out of nowhere. Now everyone was looking up in the sky.

"What's going on up there?" May asked.

Tracey took out his binoculars and was starting to observe.

"It's an air battle you guys!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Can you see who's in it?" Brock asked.

"It looks like a Pidgeot and a Fearow." Tracey replied.

"A Pidgeot and a Fearow?" Dawn said curiously.

Dawn took out her Pokedex and got the information on the two flying Pokemon.

_Pidgeot, the Bird Pokemon, and the evolved form of Pidgeotto. By flapping its wings with all its might, Pidgeot can make a gust of wind capable of bending tall trees._

_Fearow, the Beak Pokemon, and the evolved form of Spearow. It has the stamina to fly all day on its broad wings. It fights by using its sharp beak._

"Wow, that's really cool." Dawn said.

"Hey Tracey, can I see your binoculars?" Ash asked him.

"Uh, sure Ash." Tracey answered with a confused tone.

Ash took them and looked through to get a better look at the Pidgeot fighting. He couldn't tell because they were both moving and fighting at incredible speeds.

"What are you looking at?" Cilan asked.

"At that Pidgeot, I was wondering if it was mine." Ash answered.

"Wait, you used to own a Pidgeot?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, Brock, Misty, and I were on our way to the Orange Island and a flock of Spearow and a Fearow were attacking a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto. I had my Pidgeotto come out and tried to help. It went against the Fearow and it went down at first, but then it evolved into a Pidgeot right in front of our eyes. With Pidgeot, we were able to beat the Fearow. I wonder if that's the same Fearow from that encounter." Ash explained to the group.

"So how do we find out if that's your Pidgeot?" May asked.

"Ash, how about you have Pikachu use thunder on Fearow. " Brock suggested.

"That's a good idea; I hope Pidgeot doesn't get hit." Ash said.

"Pikachu, use thunder!" Ash commanded the electric mouse.

"Pikaaaaa Chuuuu!" it exclaimed.

While Fearow and Pidgeot were still fighting, they both got hit by that thunder attack. They were both starting to lose altitude and were going to the ground.

"Oh no, they both got hit! We gotta find them!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Let's go then!" May exclaimed.

It took them some time to find the two flying Pokemon, but Pikachu was able to pick up their scent and find them.

"Pika Pi!" (This way!) Pikachu pointed.

"Thanks buddy, let's go everyone!" Ash exclaimed.

They eventually found the two flying Pokemon barely being able to stand. Everyone was worried about the two of them.

"Pidgeot, are you okay?" Ash said as he was approaching it.

At that moment, Pidgeot turned towards Ash. Pidgeot recognized his voice. Then Pidgeot had a sudden outburst.

"Pidgeot!" the giant bird screamed.

"It is you, I'm so happy you recognized me!" Ash exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked the giant bird.

"Pidg" (yes) the bird responded.

Meanwhile, Fearow recovered quite quickly as it began to flap its wings and began to fly.

"Oh no, Pidgeot, can you keep going?" Ash asked.

"Ot." (No) the bird responded.

"This isn't good. Fearow's going to attack!" Brock shouted.

"Azumarill, use rollout!" Tracey exclaimed as he threw his Poke ball.

"Azumarill, Azuuuuu… maril!" the aqua rabbit said as it began its rollout attack. It rolled up on a tree and it directly hit Fearow.

"Pokeball, go!" Tracey shouted.

Fearow was too weak to get away from the Poke ball. The Poke ball was shaking back and forth rapidly, than it began to slow down, and it eventually stopped.

"Alright, I caught a Fearow!" Tracey said as he was trying to imitate the same pose Ash does when he catches a Pokemon.

"No Tracey, you're doing it all wrong." Ash said jokingly. He used to get really upset when people try to imitate his pose, but now he didn't mind, only if they did it correctly.

"Oh, so how do you do it then?" Tracey asked.

"Hold on, I'll show you in a second." Ash told him. "Pidgeot, do you wanna travel with me again? There's a new tournament and I'm going to need all my old friends to help."

Pidgeot had to think for a moment. He remembered that day when Ash released him and asked that he protected the Pidgey and Pidgeotto. He also remembered that Ash said that he would come back for him one day. Ever since that day, he had protected them and also started his own family. He was torn on making this decision.

"Ash, he can answer that in a little bit, but he's really hurt. Tracey, bring out Fearow so I can also heal him as well." Brock said.

"Okay Brock, Fearow, come out." Tracey said.

The two Pokemon gave a glare at each other before each giving a sigh of pain. Brock had to work on both of them right away. Meanwhile, Azumarill was talking to Pikachu and Dawn wanted to know what Azumarill was, so she pulled out her Pokedex again.

_Azumarill, the aqua rabbit Pokemon, and the evolved form of Marill. It can spend all day in water, since it can inhale and store a large volume of air. _

"That's pretty cool." Dawn said.

"Yeah, I have an Azumarill as well." Misty told her.

"Really, that's so cool." Dawn replied.

"Brock, how are they doing?" May asked.

"They're fine now, but they need time to rest." Brock answered.

"Okay, I'll put Fearow in its poke ball. I'm afraid that it will try to attack Pidgeot again. Fearow, return." Tracey said.

"Thanks Tracey, so Pidgeot, do you have an answer for me yet?" Ash asked the bird.

"Pidgeot Pid geot Pidg eot Pid geot" (I don't know, I have a family now.)

"Oh, I see. But do you still have to protect the other Pokemon?" Ash asked.

"Pid Pidgeot Pidg eot Pidg eot Pidge ot" (No, they've grown stronger. But like I said, I have a family. I don't know if I can go with you.)

"Oh okay, can you call them here?" Ash asked.

"Pidg, Pidge Pidgeot!" (Sure, everyone come here!) The bird shouted.

All of the sudden, they can hear huge flocks of Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot flying towards the trainers. They all landed on the surrounding trees except Pidgeot's family. Pidgeot has a wife Pidgeot and two young Pidgey. Pidgeot began discussing the situation it was in. It first told them about the fight with the Fearow and now meeting his former trainer. The female Pidgeot asked if it wanted to go with him. The male was split right in the middle. He wanted to travel with Ash again, but at the same time, he wanted to stay with everyone in the forest and continue raise his children. Meanwhile, the trainers where trying to figure out what they were saying.

"I wonder what they're talking about." Iris wondered.

"I assume it's with the series of events that just took place." Cilan guessed.

"You may be right, but there's more." Dawn added.

"I think you're right, but what else could they be talking about?" May wondered.

After another couple minutes of conversing, Pidgeot decided to rejoin Ash on his journey.

"Really Pidgeot, that's fantastic!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's so sweet." Misty added.

"Do you have enough Pidgeot to take care of you and your family?" Brock asked.

The female Pidgeot indicated that it did.

"So, I guess this is goodbye for you and your family." Ash said.

"Ash, I think we should give them a minute to say goodbye." Misty suggested.

"Okay, we'll be over there Pidgeot. Come over whenever you're ready." Ash told him.

Pidgeot nodded before turning to his wife. They stared at each other for about five minutes not saying anything. Then the female said good bye, good luck, and stay safe. They embraced for a good five minutes. Then, the female Pidgeot, their kids, and the flocks of bird Pokemon left. Pidgeot came over to Ash with some tears in his eyes.

"It's okay Pidgeot, you're gonna have fun on this journey. You can leave after if you want." Ash told him.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Dawn, May, and Iris said at the same time.

Pidgeot just nodded and then Ash put it in its former Poke ball.

"Azumarill return." Tracey said while the aqua rabbit was being sucked back in its Poke ball.

"It's getting late guys; do you think we should hurry up to Viridian City?" Misty said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea Misty." Ash complimented.

"Aren't I always filled with good ideas?" Misty told him jokingly.

Ash was a little scared to respond to that, so he just laughed nervously. Knowing himself, he was gonna say something that he thinks was funny and Misty will end up beating him with her mallet. Ash didn't want to be hit by that evil thing.

"Well, to Viridian City we go!" Ash exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Everyone else shouted.

While they were all walking towards Viridian City, the group was talking amongst each other about today's events.

"So Ash, how did you first meet Pidgeot?" May asked.

"Well, Misty and I were traveling through the Viridian Forest and I met him as a Pidgeotto. I fought it and then caught it." Ash answered.

"Hey Ash, do you think we can get Pidgeot and Fearow to get along with each other?" Tracey asked.

"I don't know Tracey. It'll be really tough to do, but I think we can do it." Ash answered.

"What other Pokemon are you planning to catch Ash?" Misty asked.

"I don't know honestly. I guess we'll have to wait and see." Ash answered her while grabbing her hand.

"Hey look, it's Viridian City!" Brock shouted.

"Sweet, perfect timing too." Cilan said.

It just hit nightfall in Viridian City. Now the question is, where do they wanna stay?

"Where are we gonna go?" Iris asked.

"Easy, were gonna stay at the Pokemon center." Ash answered.

"No we're not Ash. There's too many of us. How about we stay in a nice hotel?" Misty suggested.

"I like that idea better." Brock inputted.

"Same!" Everyone else agreed.

"Well, I would love to stay in a hotel too, but we have no money!" Ash yelled.

"Ash let me see your Pokedex." Misty demanded.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Ash asked.

"I'm looking into your money history. You see, you should have money from all your tournaments saved up somewhere." Misty told him.

"Wait, I had money from winning tournaments?" Ash asked.

Misty slapped her palm onto her face.

"Yes Ash, you do. Now, let's see how much money you have." Misty said.

Misty figured out where to find out the debit history.

"_Debit history- Winnings from Indigo Plateau: $10,000. Winnings from Orange Islands-$250,000. Winnings from Silver Conference- $100,000. Winnings from Ever Grande City Tournament-$100,000. Winnings from Lily of the Valley Conference-$150,000. Winnings from Unova League-$150,000. Total earnings: $760,000._

"What!? How do you have that much money?!" Everyone shouted.

"I never knew I had that much money." Ash said.

"I guess your mom made it possible for you not to access your money. So now we have money, we're staying in a nice hotel. And don't even try to say no." Misty said.

"Well, uh, fine, you win. Let's get to that hotel." Ash said in disappointment. He wasn't disappointed that he was going to a nice hotel; he was disappointed because he lost that battle with Misty.

When everyone made it to the hotel, they all were so happy. It came with 4 bedrooms with 4 complete bathrooms, a complete kitchen, and a nice living room area with a huge flat screen television. It wasn't complete without a Jacuzzi.

"Wow, this is great! Did I tell you I was right?" Misty bragged to Ash.

"Yeah, I guess you are. So you wanna get in the Jacuzzi for a little bit?" Ash asked her.

"Sure sexy. I wanna see those muscles of yours." Misty said seductively.

Ash went completely red and was completely speechless. Then he went to get changed into his bathing suit and waited for Misty.

"Hey, you like?" Misty asked coming out of the room. She was wearing a sea green two piece that matched the colors of her eyes. Ash was absolutely stunned along with everyone else.

"Uh, yea, a lot." Ash responded.

Misty then came over and kissed him on the cheek, leading him to the Jacuzzi.

Meanwhile, Brock and Cilan were making some food, Dawn, May, and Iris were watching TV, and Tracey decided to go to bed early.

After about three hours of fun, everyone wanted to go to bed. But before they did, they decided on what time they wanted to wake up and head out.

"Guys, were only here for the night. So I think we should wake up at 8 and head out by 9." Ash said.

Everyone else seemed to agree. With that, everyone went to bed. Of course Ash and Misty in one room, Tracey and May in one room, Brock and Dawn in a room, and Cilan and Iris in the other room.

That's chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed it, cause I enjoyed typing it. Rates, reviews, and suggestions are helpful. Sorry about the late post, but I promise I'll post chapter 3 tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 3- Brocks Decision

I really don't have anything to say, so here's chapter 3.

Chapter 3- Brocks Decision

After getting a nice, long, comfortable sleep in their rooms, Ash was the first one up for a surprise. He was responsible for getting everyone else up, which was very strange for him because he would be the one who usually had to be woken up.

"Come on Misty, it's already 8 o'clock. We gotta get up now." Ash whispered in her ear.

"Okay, I'm getting up. Just give me a second." Misty responded.

Ash knew what that meant. So he didn't waste any time trying to wake up Misty. Ash started to tickle Misty.

"Ash, stop!" Misty said while laughing.

"Sorry, I won't stop until you get up." Ash responded.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up now." Misty said while jumping up from the bed.

"See, now I'm up, so you can stop tickling me." She said.

"Okay, I'll stop." Ash responded.

Meanwhile Misty was getting ready, Ash went out of the room fully prepared to wake anyone else up if possible. First he checked on Brock and Dawn.

"Hey guys, are you up yet?" Ash asked while knocking.

"Yeah, well at least I am. I'm trying to get Dawn up. You know how she can be." Brock answered.

"Here, let me in. I know how to wake her up." Ash told him.

So Brock opened the door and let Ash in.

"So Ash, what's your idea to wake her up?" Brock asked.

"Squirtle, come out and wake up Dawn!" Ash shouted.

As soon as Squirtle came out of its poke ball, it gave Dawn a hydro pump to the face.

"AAAHHHHH!" Dawn shouted. "What's the big idea?!"

"You wouldn't wake up, so I had to do it." Ash replied in a calm tone.

"Ash, I'm going to kill you!" Dawn shouted.

With that, everyone else got up and checked out what was going on.

"What's the big idea?" May asked still half asleep.

"Dawn wouldn't wake up, so I got Squirtle to hydro pump her." Ash told the group.

"Squirtle!" (Yup!) The tiny turtle Pokemon exclaimed.

"So now you guys are up, get dressed and let's eat breakfast. I wanna leave soon." Ash told everyone.

"Why do you wanna leave so soon?" Iris asked.

"I want to get through the Viridian Forest as fast as possible." Ash answered.

"Okay, but why?" Cilan asked.

"Misty hates the Viridian Forest." Ash answered.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you Ash!" May and Iris said.

"Yeah, it really is Ash. Thank you so much." Misty said while approaching Ash and kissing him on the lips.

"Can you not do that in front of everyone?" Dawn asked angrily.

"What's wrong Dawn, are you still mad about me waking you up?" Ash asked.

"Well, that's part of it." Dawn yelled. Dawn didn't want to admit it, but she was jealous of Misty and Ash being together. Dawn always wanted Ash ever since they met in Sinnoh.

"Look, we're wasting time just standing here. Let's get a move on." Tracey suggested.

"Okay, let's go!" Brock said.

So Ash, Brock, and Misty were all helping making breakfast while everyone was getting ready. It took the guys about five minutes and the girls about 30 minutes. Everyone showed up to the kitchen table and sat down and ate breakfast.

"Brock, this is delicious!" Ash said while stuffing his face.

"Yeah, thanks for making us breakfast." Misty said.

"You don't need to thank me, you two helped out to you know." Brock told him.

"It doesn't matter because it's really delicious!" May said.

"Thanks guys, but let's hurry up because it's almost nine." Brock said.

So after everyone finished their breakfast, they packed up, left the room, and checked out of the hotel at 8:55 am. Now they are on their way to the Viridian Forest.

"Man, I miss that hotel already." Iris complained.

"Well, it was very nice. Hopefully we can stay somewhere nice like that again soon." Cilan said trying to cheer Iris up.

"I hope so too. It was very nice." Tracey added.

"Well, here we are." Misty said nervously interrupting the conversation about the hotel.

"It's okay Misty; we'll make it through with no problem, unlike our first journey." Ash told her.

"I hope you're right. I just hate this forest so much." Misty said.

"Hey Misty, why do you hate bug Pokemon so much?" Dawn asked.

"It's because they're disgusting, slimy, creepy, and scary!" Misty exclaimed.

"Wow, I never knew how much someone could hate bugs." Dawn said to herself.

"It's okay Misty; we're all here to protect you!" Cilan and Tracey told her.

"Thanks you guys, it means a lot." Misty told them.

"Okay guys, its 9 o'clock right now. Let's try to make it to the other side by three." Ash told the group.

"Well, if we don't run into any major problems, we should make it by that time." Tracey said.

"Excellent, let's get going!" Ash exclaimed.

They entered the Viridian Forest and had no problems at first. Unlike Ash's first journey, they didn't run into that crazy ninja trainer or a pack of Beedrill so far, which saved them plenty of time. It was about noon and they decided to stop for lunch.

"Hey guys, I'm getting a little hungry. How about we stop for lunch?" May suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. Let's take a lunch break." Misty agreed.

"Okay, but we can't sit for too long." Ash said.

"Why are you such in a rush? You gotta relax. I know you know that I don't like this place, but that doesn't mean we have to sprint out of here." Misty told her boyfriend.

"Well I just want to get my badges as fast as possible." Ash admitted.

"I know you wanna hurry, but you need to eat some lunch first." Cilan told her.

"Well, I am getting kinda hungry." Ash admitted.

"See, now you need to eat. You're the last person I know to refuse food because you wanna get something done." Misty teased.

"Ha ha very funny. So do you need us to get fire wood?" Ash asked Brock and Cilan.

"Yes could you please?" Cilan answered.

"No problem Cilan. Misty, do you wanna help me get fire wood?" Ash asked his girlfriend.

"Sure Ash, I'd love too." She replied with a wink.

"I'll help too." Tracey said.

"Yeah, I'll help also." Dawn said.

So while the four of them were getting fire wood, Brock and Cilan were cooking. May and Iris would do anything to help the guys with the cooking, so they were setting up the fold up table and chairs so they would have a place to sit and eat.

After about 10 minutes of getting fire wood, the four of them made it back to the camp sight and started to make the fire. Lunch didn't wasn't ready until about 12:30.

"Hey Brock and Cilan, this is really delicious!" May said.

"I expect nothing but the best from these two." Ash said.

"Yeah, these are the two best cooks I know." Dawn said.

"Thank you all. We do our best." Cilan said.

"Yeah guys, thank you." Brock said.

"Hey May, is Max entering this tournament too?" Ash asked her.

"You know what, I have no idea." May answered.

"How about we find out when we get to the Pokemon center." Ash suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Misty said.

"I bet he'd do really well in the tournament." Tracey said.

"Really, I'm not so sure he's ready yet." May said.

"Well, did he ever enter in a league tournament by himself?" Brock asked.

"Well yeah, and he lost the first round. He lost a lot of confidence after that. I don't know if he will want to. Like I said, I don't know if he's ready to enter this kind of tournament where it's even bigger in number." May said.

"Sorry to interrupt here, but whom is Max?" Cilan asked.

"Oh sorry, he's my younger brother. He's 15 years old." May briefly introduced to Cilan, Iris, and Dawn while showing them a picture of him.

"Wow, he still looks the same as he did when he was seven." Ash commented.

"Yeah, but it looks like he got taller." Brock said.

"He certainly did get taller. He also got a little cuter too. Does he have a girlfriend?" Misty asked May.

"Well, I don't know. We'll find out soon." May answered.

"Hey Dawn and Iris, why are you guys so quiet?" Brock asked.

"I don't know. I guess I just wanna listen." Iris responded.

"Yeah same here." Dawn responded.

"Ah! Guys, it's one! Come on, let's get going!" Ash exclaimed.

"Relax Ash, were half way through and it should take us about two hours to get through here. So we will be out by three." Tracey said while trying to calm Ash.

"Oh, okay. Sorry guys." Ash said.

"It's okay, well, let's clean up and get going!" Brock said.

After everything was cleaned up, they continued on their journey through the Viridian Forest. They had no interruptions on their journey and made it out by three o'clock. Ash was very happy that they made it to Pewter City, and so was Brock.

"Ah, it's good to be home." Brock said.

"I bet so Brock-o. So are you gonna get your Pokemon?" Ash asked.

"Not right now. I'm gonna say hi to everyone in the family and then go to work for the day." Brock told.

"Oh, okay Brock. Well, let's go say hi to your family." Ash said.

They went to Brocks house. They all got to meet his family.

"Wow Brock, you weren't kidding when you said you had a lot of brothers and sisters." Dawn said.

"Yup, guys these are all my brothers and sisters and my parents." Brock said as he was introducing his friends to his family.

"Hello everyone!" The group said to the family.

"Hello everyone!" Brock's family responded.

"Brock, it's so good to see you again!" His mom and dad said.

"Hey mom and dad, dad, you remember Ash right?" Brock said.

"Oh yes, hey Ash. You beat Brock and I've seen you on TV plenty of times in various Pokemon leagues. You've certainly gotten better over the years." Flint said to him.

"Well, thank you Flint. It's always good to meet a fan." Ash said while blushing a little bit.

"Oh, quit it Ash. You have such a big ego." Misty teased.

"Oh, and you're the Cerulean City gym leader Misty Waterflower. You're one of the best, if not the best Gym leader in all of Kanto." Flint said to her.

"Well, thank you Flint. It's always nice that someone appreciates the work of a gym leader." Misty said while blushing.

"And I thought I had a big ego." Ash teased his girlfriend.

"Oh, are you two dating?" Flint asked the two.

"Oh, well, um, yes. Yes we are." Ash answered.

"You two seem perfect for each other." Brock's mother said while walking in the room.

"Well, thank you Mrs. Harrison." Misty said while blushing heavily.

"Oh, you can call me Lola dear." She told them.

"Okay, do you guys wanna go to the gym and watch Forrest battle some trainers? I gotta go to work." Brock said.

"Sure, I definitely wanna see some battles." Tracey said.

"Well, let's go then." May said.

"Well, let's all go see Forrest battle." Flint suggested.

While everyone went to the gym to watch Forrest battle some trainers, Brock went to the Pokemon center to work the rest of the day.

"Hey Nurse Joy, how has it been without me?" Brock asked the veteran nurse.

"It's been manageable, but I may need you to stay here because of the tournament." Nurse Joy said.

Brock wanted to enter the tournament, but he had completely forgotten about the possibility of having to stay in Pewter City for the tournament.

"Oh, but I wanted to enter the tournament." Brock told her.

"Oh Brock, I figured you did, but the problem is that we have no one to replace you for that long span of time. I'm sorry Brock." Joy told her.

"Well, I guess its okay, unless I can find someone to replace me for the duration of the tournament." Brock suggested.

"Who can you get to replace you?" Joy asked.

Brock had to think for a moment. He couldn't really think of anyone at the top of his head, but he knew he could find someone.

"_Aw man, what am I gonna tell everyone if I can't make it?" _Brock thought to himself.

XXX

Meanwhile at the gym, Forrest is challenging someone who is planning to be in the tournament. Everyone was in the crowd observing.

"Rhyperior, use iron tail!" Forrest commanded.

"Quick, dodge it Poliwrath." The trainer commanded.

"Wow, this is a close battle." Iris commented.

"It is, it looks like it could be over any second." Tracey said.

"Poliwrath, use hydro pump!" The trainer shouted.

"Use dig to dodge the attack, Rhyperior!" Forrest shouted.

Rhyperior dodged it just in time, but it still got hit.

"_I gotta end this quick. Rhyperior won't last much longer." _Forrest thought.

"Now, end it Rhyperior!" Forrest shouted.

"No Poliwrath!" The trainer said while running to his fainted Pokemon.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle, Rhyperior wins, which means the Pewter City gym leader Forrest Harrison is the winner!" The referee announced.

"Good battle, I hope you return soon." Forrest said to the trainer.

"Okay, I definitely will." The trainer said while shaking hands.

After the battle, everyone went to Forrest to congratulate him on his win.

"Congrats on the victory, Forrest." Misty said.

"Thanks Misty, it means a lot coming from you." Forrest said.

"Why is that Forrest?" She asked.

"Well, you're one of the best, if not, the best gym leader in all of Kanto. I hope to be one of the best like you." Forrest answered.

"Aw, thanks Forrest." Misty said.

"Well, you're certainly getting a lot of love from everyone today Misty." Dawn said.

"I guess it's my lucky day today." Misty said.

Suddenly the video phone rang in the other room. Everyone went to it and Forrest answered it.

"Hello?" He said when he answered it.

"Hey Forrest, its Brock. I have to tell you guys something." Brock said.

"What is it Brock?" Ash asked.

"Well, I may not be able to go with you guys." Brock answered.

"Why not Brock, what's going on?" Ash asked.

"Well, because of the tournament, I have to stay here to take care of the Center here." Brock answered.

"Aw man Brock, I wish you could come." Misty and May said.

"But guys, I need you to do me a favor. I may be able to still go with you guys. Can you call the Lavander town Pokemon Center and see if that Nurse Joy could come here for the tournament?" Brock requested.

"Sure, but wouldn't they be left without a Nurse Joy to take care of the Center there?" Cilan asked.

"They have more than two Joys working there. They should be able to send at least one of them down here." Brock said.

"Okay Brock, we'll do it." Ash said.

"Thanks you guys, I gotta get back to work." Brock said.

"Okay, have fun." Everyone said to him.

After the conversation with Brock, they called the Lavander town Pokemon center right away.

"Hello, is this the Lavander Pokemon center?" Ash asked.

"Yes it is, how may I help you?" The Lavander town Nurse Joy asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you could get a Nurse Joy to work at the Pewter City Pokemon center for the tournament. Doctor Brock Harrison wants to enter the Pokemon World Tournament." Ash informed her.

Meanwhile in the background, everyone was waiting for the response, hoping they could provide this service.

"Well, of course we can. We just need to talk to him." Joy said.

"Excellent, he's working at the Pokemon Center here in Pewter City right now!" Ash exclaimed.

"Okay, we'll talk to him there." She replied.

"Thank you so much!" Ash said.

"No problem." Joy said.

After they hung up, they all cheered. The Nurse Joy called the Pokemon center to inform Brock of the good news. After he was done work, he came back to the gym and thanked everyone. It was 6 o'clock and everyone was getting hungry.

So that's chapter 3. This chapter was hard to write for me. I felt like I was forced to put certain things in. And I know it may be boring now, but his journey for the tournament will begin at chapter nine. I know it's a long time from now, but it will come.


	5. Chapter 4- Some Alone Time

This chapter is a part of a series of "fillers" in this fic. These are basically date chapters that involve just Ash and Misty. They most likely won't be as long as the other chapters.

Chapter 4- Date 1

It's been a slow day at the Pokemon Center ever since Brock started working. There haven't been many trainers in the center that day, except a few trainers to heal after battling the Pewter City gym leader Forrest. Brock has been worried all day about what will happen.

"_Man I hope the Lavender Town Nurse Joy can come and cover me." _Brock thought the entire time while he was working.

Then out of nowhere, the video phone began to ring and Brock answered.

"Hello, Pewter City Pokemon Center, how may I help you?" Brock said.

"Hello Dr. Brock, this is the Lavander Town Nurse Joy. How are you?" Joy asked.

"Well, I'm a bit nervous." Brock answered.

"Well you have nothing to worry about because I can send a veteran Nurse Joy to Pewter City by tomorrow to cover for you." Joy said.

"Really, you can? That's fantastic, thank you very much!" Brock exclaimed.

"Not a problem Brock, Ash told me how bad you wanted to enter the tournament." Joy said.

"I know I'm not that big of a battler, but I wanted to test my skills against the best." Brock said.

"Well I wish you luck and hope you stop by here soon." Joy said.

"Thank you very much. I gotta go now. I'll see you later." Brock said.

After Brock hung up the phone, he had a huge smile on his face. The Nurse Joy began to wonder what was up with him.

"What's with the big smile Brock?" Joy asked.

"Well, I got someone to cover for me while I'm on the road!" Brock exclaimed.

"That's great; who did you get to cover for you?" Joy asked.

"I got a Nurse Joy from Lavander Town to do it." Brock answered.

"Oh, okay. It looks like no one else is coming over. So you can go home Brock." Joy said.

"Oh, thank you Joy. I'll see you when I get back from my journey." Brock said.

"Okay Brock, good luck." Joy said.

"Thanks." Brock replied.

With that Brock walked out of the Pokemon Center. It was getting dark out, so he wanted to hurry back to the gym.

"_I can't wait to tell everyone the great news!" _Brock thought to himself as he started to walk.

XXX

At the gym, the whole crew was waiting for Brock to get back, wondering if the Lavander Town Nurse Joy told Brock the good news.

"I hope he was told the good news." Ash wondered.

"Yeah, me too, this journey wouldn't be the same without Brock." Misty said.

"I really want Brock to join us." Dawn said.

"Speaking of Brock, here he is!" Forrest said as he saw Brock walk in.

"Hey guys, thank you all so very much!" Brock said running towards the group of friends and putting them in a huge bear hug at the same time.

"Yeah, no problem Brock… but we can't…" May said while being choked by Brocks hug.

"Oh, sorry guys, I'm just really happy that you did that for me." Brock said to the group.

"We're all happy that you can join us!" Dawn said.

"I think we should celebrate!" Cilan exclaimed.

"I think that's a great idea!" Iris exclaimed.

"I agree, let's do it!" May said.

So while everybody was getting ready for the party, Ash and Misty wanted to go out and spend some time as a couple. It wasn't that they wanted to stay for the party, but they haven't spent any time together alone ever since they started traveling with everybody.

"Hey Ash, do you wanna head out?" Misty whispered to him.

"Uh, why do you wanna head out?" Ash whispered to her.

"I wanna spend some quality time with you Ash." Misty answered.

"Well sure, but don't you think we should stay for a little bit." Ash asked.

"Well, okay we can stay for a little bit." Misty answered.

She wasn't happy about staying, but she knew inside that she would be rude if she and Ash left. So they decided to stick around for the party.

Everyone was having a great time. Brock and Cilan made great food and everyone was talking to each other and having a great time.

While everyone was conversing with each other, Ash and Misty snuck out of the gym and decided to walk through Pewter City.

"Hey Mist, remember this place?" Ash asked while pointing to the restaurant.

"Yeah, we ate their before your first gym battle with Brock. I offered to help you but you were being too stubborn to accept it." Misty answered.

She remembered that day perfectly. She was still mad at him for destroying her bike, which was the only reason why she followed him to Pewter City the first time around. They went to eat and tried to help him earn his first badge, but Ash wanted to do it all on his own.

"Most of it, but I don't remember the stubborn part." Ash said jokingly.

"Oh really, maybe this will help you remember." Misty said as she playfully shoved him.

"Well, you call it stubborn, I call it confidence." Ash said to her.

"You haven't changed at all, haven't you?" She said jokingly.

"Hey, yes I did." Ash answered.

"I know you have sweetie. You wanna go to that restaurant and get something to eat?" She asked.

"Sure, I really didn't get anything to eat at the party." He replied.

"_Of course you didn't." _ Misty thought jokingly as they entered the restaurant.

XXX

Meanwhile at the gym, the party was going on. No one noticed that Ash and Misty were gone until Iris brought it up.

"Hey guys, where did Ash and Misty go?" Iris asked out loud.

"I don't know, I guess they must have walked out while we weren't looking." Cilan said.

"I wonder why they would do that. We were having this party to celebrate Brock being able to come with us on our journey." Tracey said.

"Guys, it's alright, they probably wanted some alone time." Brock guessed.

"Yeah, we don't need them to have a good time." May said.

"Let's get back to having a good time!" Dawn said.

XXX

"So Misty, why did you wanna leave the party?" Ash asked curiously.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something." Misty answered hesitantly.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Well, it's about the other girls. I'm starting to think they're jealous of us." Misty confessed.

"Why would they be jealous?" Ash asked.

"They may be jealous that I'm with you instead of one of them. They see how happy we are together and they want that, especially with you." Misty explained.

"I guess they could be, but what can we do about it?" Ash asked.

"That's the problem; I don't know what to do. I don't wanna be rude and say "Hey, stop being jealous of us!"" Misty said.

"I know what you mean Mist. Well, you won't have to worry about Iris because she and Cilan are going back to Unova. I think May and Dawn are gonna go home before beginning battling gym leaders." Ash guessed.

"Yeah, I hope so." Misty said.

"Look, you don't have to worry about anything Mist. I want you to know that I'll never choose any of them over you." Ash said.

"I know you won't Ash, but it's always nice to hear it." Misty said. They both laughed at the comment.

"Well, it's getting really late. Maybe we should get back to the gym and get some sleep so we can continue traveling tomorrow." Ash suggested.

"Okay Ash, let's go." Misty said.

There's chapter 4. I know it's short, but do you guys want more of these kind of chapters where the main focus are Ash and Misty? Rates and reviews are appreciated.


	6. Chapter 5- Crisis in Cerulean City

I'll see if I can get this chapter done tonight. And I would like an answer to the date saga in this story: do you want it or not? I don't know if I'll be able to post a new chapter tomorrow because of family issues. Anyway, here's chapter 5

Chapter 5- Crisis in Cerulean City

"Mist, it's almost 11," Ash began. "We should get back to the gym."

"I know Ash, let's go." Misty responded.

After their date, they went back to the gym. What they were hoping is that they were sleeping now. They didn't want to make up an excuse on why they left.

"It looks like the lights are still on." Ash said nervously.

"Don't worry; I have an excuse up my sleeve if we get caught." Misty reassured him.

With that, they walked into the gym and the lights were all off. So they were off the hook for the night, but they knew that they had to explain what happened in the morning.

After a good night sleep, everyone woke up at around 8 am. Brock and Cilan were making breakfast while everyone was coming down and getting ready to eat.

"Hey guys, where did you two go last night?" Dawn asked.

"Well Dawn, we just headed out for a walk." Misty answered.

"Really, in the middle of the party we were throwing for Brock?" Dawn said.

"Dawn, just drop it. Ash and Misty, I forgive you this time. Just let me know if you want some private time." Brock said while trying to prevent a fight between Misty and Dawn.

"Sorry Brock." Ash and Misty said in unison.

"But just out of curiosity, what did you two do last night while you were out?" Brock asked.

"Like Misty said, we just went out for a walk." Ash answered.

"Okay, whatever you say." Dawn said.

"Relax Dawn; I know Ash wouldn't lie to us." May said defending them.

"Thanks May, I appreciate it." Ash said.

"No problem, anything for you Ash." May said in what seemed like a flirtatious voice.

"_Oh great, now May's flirting with my boyfriend too? Who's next, Iris?" _Misty thought to herself while trying to keep a straight face.

"You okay, Misty?" Ash asked snapping her out of her thought. He figured out that Misty was mad about something.

"I'll tell you later." Misty answered hastily.

"Woah guys, let's all relax here. Let's finish breakfast and get to Cerulean City." Tracey said.

"Oh yeah, I need to pick up my Pokemon!" Misty said.

"And I bet Tracey wants to see how Daisy's doing too, right?" Misty said in a flirtatious voice.

"Um, uh, well…" were the only words that could come out of Tracey's mouth.

Tracey was head over heels for Misty's older sister Daisy. At first Tracey came over to the Cerulean gym to help out Misty when she was first alone. After Misty's sisters came back from that world tour, Tracey started to come over there more often than usual. Daisy would ask Tracey to do things for her and he would do it with no problem. Misty figured out right away that Tracey liked Daisy, possibly even loved her, even though she always bossed him around.

"I haven't seen her in a while." Tracey said, even though it was a bad excuse.

"Yeah, okay Tracey. You sure you're not in love with her?" Misty teased.

"I am not… okay maybe a little." Tracey answered.

"I knew it! I knew all this time that you did!" Misty exclaimed.

"Okay, you got me Misty, but can we start to get going now?" Tracey begged.

"I agree, we need to get to Cerulean as fast as possible." Cilan said.

With that, everyone finished breakfast, cleaned up, said their goodbyes to Brocks family, and was on their way to Mount Moon.

They made it through Mount Moon in what seemed like record time and made it to Cerulean City. It took them only three hours and made it by noon.

"Wow guys, we made it to Cerulean in record time!" Ash shouted.

"Yeah it helps when you don't run into Team Rocket all the time." Brock said.

"That definitely helps a lot." Misty said.

"I hate those guys. They're nothing but big jerks." May and Dawn said in unison.

"We only met them a couple of times through our journey in Unova." Cilan said.

"Yeah, I hope there not planning anything." Iris said with caution in her voice.

"I doubt we will run into them any time soon." Ash said with the upmost confidence.

"Don't get too cocky now Ash." Misty said.

"I'm not; I just think we won't see Team Rocket ever again." Ash said.

"Let's go to the gym guys, I need to get my Pokemon." Misty said.

"Oh yeah, let's get going!" Ash exclaimed.

As the group was walking to Cerulean City, they all started to get hungry, especially Pikachu. Instead of Brock and Cilan cooking, they decided to go out and eat at a restaurant. It was pretty slow so they got their food right away.

"Let's give Brock and Cilan a break and go out to eat." Tracey suggested.

"I agree with that. And sorry guys, but Ash and I want to sit together alone." Misty said.

"That's okay; you guys are a couple and deserve some time alone." Cilan said.

With that, they all decided to eat out. Ash and Misty have a table of their own, while everyone else sat with each other at one table.

"I can't believe how Misty's acting; she can't keep Ash away from me." Dawn said.

"Oh no, were not having this drama again." Brock demanded.

"Yeah come on girls, can't you just get over him and find someone else?" Cilan asked.

"Besides, I haven't seen Ash this happy in a really long time." Tracey added.

"I'm over Ash; I only like him as a friend." Iris said.

"What about you girls?" Brock asked May and Dawn.

"I know I am. I learned my lesson. I don't wanna hurt Ash and Misty again." May said.

"I… I still have feelings for him." Dawn confessed.

"Come on Dawn, you'll find someone soon." Cilan said.

"Are you sure? I only want Ash though." Dawn said.

"What about Gary Oak? He's pretty cute and he's a professor too." May suggested.

"Well, I talked to him a little bit, but he told me he's always busy with his studies." Dawn said with a disappointing tone.

"Dawn, you don't need to be in a relationship right now. Be happy that you're single." Iris said.

"Ugh, fine, I give up. I'll stop trying to steal Ash." Dawn said.

Meanwhile at the other table while they're eating, Ash and Misty have their own conversation.

"I wonder what they're talking about over there." Ash wondered while looking at their table.

"I wonder too, but I have to tell you something." Misty said getting Ash's attention.

"What is it Mist?" He asked.

"I got upset with May because I thought she was flirting with you at breakfast this morning." Misty told her.

"When did she flirt with me?" Ash asked.

"Wow Ash, sometimes you can be so hopeless." Misty joked. "Well, when she said "I'll do anything for you Ash," that's what got me mad."

"I don't see that as flirting." Ash said.

"Well, what do you see as flirting then Ash?" Misty asked.

"Let's not talk about something negative. Let's change the subject." Ash suggested.

"Oh I know, who are you going to get your badges from for Kanto?" Misty asked.

"Well, I did promise Cilan and Iris I would face Lt. Surge before they went back to Unova." Ash answered.

"I heard he got stronger Ash. You need to be careful." Misty warned.

"Good, I hope he's up to the challenge of facing me again." Ash said boldly.

"Who would be the other leader you would face?" she asked.

"I haven't thought about it yet. Who do you think I should face?" Ash asked.

"Well, how about facing me? We never really decided an official winner between us the first time we faced each other." Misty said.

"Sorry Misty, it sounds tempting, but I think we'll see each other in the tournament." He replied.

"Okay sweetie, you got yourself a deal." Misty said before kissing him on the lips.

After a long and delicious lunch, they gang headed up to the gym so that Misty could pick up her Pokemon.

"Hey guys, I'm home!" Misty shouted in the gym hoping to get a response.

"Hey little sis, it's like, nice to see you again." Lily and Violet said.

"Hey Tracey, like, long time no see!" Daisy said.

"Oh, uh hey Daisy, it's been a while." Tracey said nervously. He couldn't help but blush.

"Oh Tracey, you're like, so cute when you get nervous and blush." Daisy complimented.

"Uh, thanks, I guess." Tracey responded.

"Oh wait," Violet interrupted. "Weren't we like, supposed to tell Misty something?"

"Oh yea, Misty, you need to like, stay here and cover the gym." Lily told her.

Misty just stared at her like she had three heads. The tension in the room was slowly but surely rising. Everyone knew that Misty was going to explode, but the question was when.

"Mist, are you okay?" Ash asked nervously.

She didn't respond right away, which caused him to swallow his throat nervously.

"Misty, are you-"Ash said before he was interrupted.

"No, I'm not okay!" Misty exploded. "I don't wanna watch the gym! I wanna be in the tournament!"

"Well like, sorry Misty. We're going on a world tour." Daisy informed her.

"I don't care if you are! I'm not staying here and watching the gym while you tour the world!" Misty shouted at them.

The Three Sensational Sisters were looking at her and Ash and noticed that they were holding hands.

"Oh, Mist, are you and Ash like, dating now?" Lily asked.

"Don't try to change the subject! I'm sick of being in this gym!" Misty shouted.

"Sorry sis, but there's like, nothing we can do for you." Violet said.

"This isn't fair girls. You should stay home while Mist goes out for once." Ash stood up and said to them.

"Oh, boyfriends backing up our little sis, it's like, so cute." Daisy said.

While the sisters and now Ash were fighting, everyone just observed. But Brock was formulating something in his head.

"Hey guys." Brock said, but wasn't heard over the girls fighting.

"Hey guys." Brock said again, but no one heard him.

"Guys!" Brock shouted and it got everyone's attention.

"What is it Brock?" Misty shouted at him.

"I think I have an idea on how we can get Misty to come with us and have someone to cover the gym." Brock suggested.

"Oh yeah, what is it?" Tracey asked optimistically.

"I need to use your video phone." Brock said.

The Three Sensational Sisters lead Misty, Ash, and the rest of the gang to the kitchen where the video phone was. Everyone was wondering what Brock's Idea was. So he got in front of the video phone and started dialing the number.

"Hello, who is this?" Lola asked.

"Hey mom, it's me Brock. I'm calling from the Cerulean City Gym." Brock answered.

"Oh hey Brock, hey everyone else, how's it going?" Lola asked.

"Well, not so well." Brock answered.

"Why dear, what's going on?" She asked.

"Misty wants to go to this tournament just like my friends and I, but her sisters are going away to travel the world. And since you have some powerful water Pokemon, I was wondering if you could cover the Cerulean gym until the tournament was over." Brock asked.

"Well Brock, what you say is true. But I have to be away from the family." Lola said.

"That is true, but it's not that far from here." Misty tried to convince.

"Well, okay Brock. I'll be there in a few hours." Lola answered.

"That's great news! Thanks Lola, I owe you big time!" Misty said.

"Oh gosh dear, maybe you can teach me more about water Pokemon Misty." Lola said.

"I would love to Lola. It's a deal!" Misty exclaimed.

"I'm on my way now. See you later guys." Lola said.

"See you later." Everyone said to her before the screen went black.

"This is great Misty, now you don't have to stay here and your sisters can still go out!" Ash exclaimed.

"That is great because like, everyone wins!" Daisy exclaimed.

"Now what are we gonna do while we wait for Brocks mom to get here?" Tracey asked.

"Well, I guess we could just watch TV." Cilan suggested.

"I wanna see if anyone got any badges." Ash said.

With that statement, everyone went to the living room and turned on the TV and turned on PTV (Pokemon Television) to see what was going on.

"News just in, some trainers have already received their first badges. Trainers include elite eight in Sinnoh Paul, Sinnoh Valley of the Conference champ Tobias, and Pokemon Professor Gary Oak." The news lady reported.

"What, Paul and Gary already have badges?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Well, it looks like there not wasting any time at all." May said.

"Yeah, it looks like I need to hurry up and get some badges." Ash said.

"We can't leave until my mom gets here." Brock said.

"I know, but still, I hate to play catch up, especially with Gary and Paul." Ash said.

"Even though you have to catch up with those two all the time?" Misty teased.

"Well someone thinks there funny." Ash said sarcastically.

Well that's chapter 5. I think this chapter turned out really well. Better than I expected. Like I said, I don't know if I'll be able to post anything tomorrow. Rates and Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	7. Chapter 6- To Vermilion We Go!

I decided to either shorten some of the chapters I've planned by combining some of them. That means the battles will come soon; just not this chapter. Enough blabbering, here's chapter 6.

Chapter 6- To Vermilion We Go!

As the gang was waiting for Lola to come up to the gym, they were still relaxing and watching TV still wondering if anyone else got any badges.

"Someone else who got a badge is from the Hoenn region, Drew!" The announcer reported.

"What, Drew is already ahead of me?!" May exclaimed.

"Who's this Drew guy?" Dawn asked her.

"He's been my rival since I've became a coordinator." May answered her.

"I bet he's tough. I would love to face him." Dawn said.

"He is tough. He's probably the second best coordinator in all of Hoenn." May said.

"Who's the best?" Iris asked.

"Well, me of course." May bragged.

"Someone's getting a little cocky." Misty said.

"Well, I've seen her in contests before and she really is one of the best." Ash said.

"Well it's nice to know that I have at least one fan." May joked.

"Don't forget May, I beat you at the Wallace cup." Dawn reminded her.

"Yeah, but that was three years ago. I've gotten much better. They call me the queen of Hoenn." May bragged.

"So what if it was three years ago, I'm still ahead in our rivalry. And they call me the queen of Sinnoh." Dawn bragged.

Everyone just watched Dawn and May argue about who's better. It was quite entertaining for everyone, especially Ash and Misty.

"Remember when we used to argue like that?" Ash whispered in Misty's ear.

"Yeah, the best part was I always won." Misty whispered back.

"That may be true, but at least we don't argue like that anymore." Ash whispered.

"That's definitely true and that's what I love about us." Misty whispered.

"Well we still argue, but not as much and not over stupid things like before." Ash whispered.

"That is true." Misty whispered.

After about five minutes of arguing between May and Dawn, everyone just tuned them out and continued to watch TV. Ash decided that he wanted to go out for a little bit and take Misty somewhere special.

"Hey guys, we're gonna go out for a little, is that okay?" Ash announced while grabbing Misty's hand.

"Sure Ash, I'll call you when my mom gets here and that's when you have to get back here." Brock agreed.

"How about we meet outside of town so we have to wait for you to get to Vermilion City?" Misty suggested.

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea." Tracey said.

"Let me get my Pokemon first." Misty told Ash.

"Okay, I'll wait out front for you." Ash replied.

When Misty left to get her Pokemon, Ash was on the way out when Dawn asked him a question.

"Hey Ash, how happy are you with Misty?" She asked with curiosity.

"I feel like the happiest person on the planet. And I guess I kinda have to thank you girls for all that drama involving my journal. Otherwise, I don't know if Misty and I would be dating." Ash replied.

"Oh, that's really good." Dawn said.

"Why did you ask that?" Ash asked.

"I was just wondering." Dawn replied.

Misty walked back in the room after the conversation with Ash and Dawn ended.

"So Ash, are you ready to go?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, let's get going. I wanna take you some where special." Ash replied.

"Oh really Ash? Where are you taking me?" Misty wondered.

"You just have to wait and see." Ash told her. "Stay here with everyone Pikachu."

"Pi ka" (Okay) he replied.

After they walked out the door, everyone began conversing about the only couple in their gang.

"Man, Ash seems really happy ever since he started dating Misty." Brock stated the obvious.

"Yeah and it seems like whenever Ash is happy, everyone else is." Cilan said.

"That's not… completely true." Dawn said.

"Look Dawn, we just talked about this. You don't need a boyfriend, especially Ash." Iris said.

"I know, but I wanna be that happy." Dawn said.

"Well, you have to find a guy that'll make you that happy." May said.

"But I think only Ash can." Dawn said.

"Dawn, they'll be someone else out there for you. You just have to wait." Cilan told her.

"Can we stop with all this Ash drama please? It's getting really old really fast." Brock begged.

"Yeah guys, it's kinda ridiculous." Tracey said agreeing with Brock.

"It's gonna be really hard, but I'll try." Dawn gave in.

"There you go, just don't think about him." May said.

"But I wonder where he's taking Misty though." Iris wondered.

XXX

After they walked out of the gym, they started walking north of the town. Ash wanted to take Misty to the Cerulean Cape, something Misty wanted to do with him when they were younger, but Ash thought it was a waste of time. This time around Ash wanted to see what it looked like.

"So we're going to Cerulean Cape, the place I begged you to go to when we were younger?" Misty figured out.

"Yeah, I figured that I'd try to be more romantic since we're dating now." Ash said.

"That's good Ash, I'm proud of you." Misty told him.

"Thanks Mist, I just wanna do my best to impress you." Ash said.

"Well, you know you don't always have to right? Just being with you is good enough for me." Misty said.

"Thanks, but I feel like you should be treated like a queen. You've probably been miserable since you've developed a crush on me and never told me. I feel like I need to owe you big time for all those times I've made you feel bad or alone." Ash stated.

"Aw Ash, that's really sweet of you. I'm happy you want to do this. And you really do owe me." She joked at the end.

"Yeah I guess I really do." Ash said.

"Well, here it is, Cerulean Cape." Misty announced.

Cerulean Cape is one of the most romantic places to take the person you love. It has a beautiful view of the ocean guarded by steel railings. It's usually a quiet place too. There are wooden tables where you can just look at the ocean or have a picnic.

"Wow, this is really beautiful. I know why you always wanted to bring me here." Ash said in astonishment.

"It's even better when the sun is setting." Misty said.

"I bet so. Too bad we can't stay that long. I have a feeling Brock's gonna call me soon." Ash said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if he did." Misty said.

"I hope he doesn't ruin this moment." Ash said.

"Same, it's too beautiful here." Misty said.

"But not as beautiful as you." Ash complimented.

"Aw, Ash you're too sweet." Misty said before kissing him.

"I try to be." Ash said.

"Who are you gonna battle Lt. Surge with?" Misty asked.

"That's a good question. I definitely wanna use Gible, Donphan, and then Krookodile." Ash said.

"So all ground types huh? Nice job, I thought you would be stupid enough to use a water type." Misty said jokingly.

"You gotta give me some credit." Ash said.

"Okay fine I will." Misty admitted.

"So, who did you bring with you?" Ash asked.

"Oh yeah, I brought Gyrados, Daisy's Dewgong, Starmie, Psyduck, Azumarill, and Seadra." Misty said.

"So Horsea finally evolved then? That's great; but you still have Psyduck after all these years?" Ash asked.

"Unfortunately yes, Psyduck has not evolved yet, and I don't know if it ever will." Misty admitted in disappointment.

"It's okay Mist, maybe this will be the journey that Psyduck finally evolves." Ash said trying to comfort her.

"I hope you're right." Misty said.

XXX

It was quiet back at the gym. No one really wanted to talk behind Ash and Misty's backs. Everyone was happy that they were in a relationship, except maybe Dawn. That didn't matter now because they all heard a door bell ring.

"Hello, like who is it?" Daisy asked.

"It's Lola, may I come in?" Lola asked.

"Yes you can!" Lily exclaimed.

"Hey mom, it's good to see you again." Brock said.

"Thanks dear, it's nice to see you all again." Lola said.

"Do you like, have your own water Pokemon?" Lily asked.

"Yes I do, and there all quite powerful." Lola replied.

"May we like, see them please?" Violet asked.

"Sure, let's go to the pool area though." Lola replied.

Everyone wanted to see what kind of water Pokemon Lola had.

"Come on out everyone!" She exclaimed.

Out came Lola's Blastoise, Marill, Mantine, Gyrados, Vaporeon, Poliwag, Slowpoke, and Tentacruel.

"Wow, there all like, so powerful!" Daisy said in astonishment.

"Why thank you, I love water type Pokemon and this would be a great way to show it off!" Lola exclaimed.

"You like, totally do. Thank you so much for like, everything." Lily said.

"Yeah but now we like, gotta go." Violet said.

"Okay girls, have fun on your tour." Lola said.

"Yeah, we gotta get going too mom." Brock said.

"Okay sweetie, have fun with you and your friends." Lola said.

"Okay, and thanks again." Brock said before leaving.

"No problem dear." Lola said.

"Okay, now I gotta call Ash and Misty and meet up with them." Brock said out loud.

Brock pulled out his cellphone and began to dial Ash's number, hoping he would pick up.

XXX

After the conversation about Misty's Psyduck, they just looked at the beautiful ocean with the sunset scene. It was the second most beautiful scene Ash had ever scene.

"Wow, this is beautiful." Misty said calmly.

"Yeah, it really is; but I know something that's more beautiful than this." Ash said slyly.

"Oh really, what is it?" Misty asked.

"You." He said smoothly.

As soon as Ash was going to kiss Misty, his cellphone began to ring.

"Aw man, who is it?" Ash said irritated.

"Pick up and find out." Misty said.

"Hello?" Ash answered.

"Hey Ash, it's Brock. We gotta get going now." Brock said.

"Oh, okay Brock. We're on our way. We'll meet you at the exit of Cerulean." Ash said.

"Okay, don't take too long though." Brock said.

"See ya in a few." Ash said before hanging up.

"We gotta get going." Ash said to Misty.

"Okay, let's get going." Misty said.

Ash and Misty walked away from the beautiful sunset scene of Cerulean Cape and hustled to meet up with the rest of the gang. It took them about 10 minutes to meet up with them. While they were walking towards Vermilion City, Ash and Misty were being harassed with questions from everyone else.

"Where did you guys go?" May asked.

"Why do you guys wanna know so badly?" Ash asked.

"Because we wanna see how good of a boyfriend you are." Iris said.

"Well, that's none of your business." Misty said.

"Aw come on, why won't you tell us?" Dawn said.

"Like she said, it's none of your business." Ash said backing up Misty.

"Okay guys, please stop arguing." Brock begged.

"Seriously, you've been asking them questions ever since we've been traveling to Vermilion." Tracey stated.

"Hey Ash, who are you gonna use against Lt. Surge in your battle tomorrow?" Cilan said.

"Now this I can talk about," Ash began. "Since he has electric type Pokemon, I'm going to use all ground types. I'm going to use Gible, Donphan, and Krookodile."

"Wow Ash I'm surprised. I remember the old you who wouldn't think about strategies ahead of time." Brock joked.

"Yeah ha ha, you're funny." Ash replied.

"But seriously, does Pikachu wanna battle Raichu again?" Brock asked.

"Well, I never thought of that. Do you wanna battle Raichu again?" Ash asked the mouse Pokemon who was on his shoulder.

"Pika pi ka!" (You know it!) The mouse replied.

"If it's a four on four battle, I'll definitely use you, is that okay?" Ash asked.

"Pi!" (Yup!) Pikachu replied.

"Hey guys, we finally made it to Vermilion City!" Tracey interrupted.

"Sweet, I gotta go to the Pokemon Center to get the Pokemon I need." Ash said.

"Okay, and we can all take a break then." Cilan said.

They entered Vermilion City and their first stop was to go to the Pokemon center. Since Ash didn't get into any battles on the way, which was a surprise for him, he didn't need to heal anyone. He went to the video phone and called his good friend and mentor Professor Oak.

"Hey Professor, how's it going?" Ash asked.

"It's going great Ash. It looks like you made it to the first city. Who do you need?" Oak asked.

"I'm going to face Lt. Surge for my first badge. I'm going to need Donphan and Krookodile. Who do you want me to send over?" Ash asked.

"Very well, how about Squirtle and Bulbasaur?" Oak suggested.

"Okay sure." He answered.

"Now guys, I know how much you wanna battle, but for right now, I'm sending you back to Oaks lab." Ash said to their respective Poke balls.

Ash placed the Poke balls in one by one and received the Poke balls for Donphan and Krookodile.

"It's getting late Ash. Let's go to bed now so you can be fully rested for tomorrow." Misty suggested.

"That's a good idea. I bet everyone else is tired too." Ash said.

"We're going to bed now." Iris said tiringly.

"We're going to bed too." The whole group said in unison.

"Okay, good night everyone!" Everyone said to each other.

After that everyone rented their own rooms, except for Ash and Misty of course.

"Remember the fight we had here?" Misty reminded Ash.

"Yeah, what was it about again? We had so many I forget what this one was about." Ash replied.

"Actually, I forget too." Misty said then giggled.

"I'm going to sleep now Mist, good night. I love you." Ash said before pecking her on the cheek with a kiss.

"Okay, good night Ash, I love you too." Misty replied with a peck of her own to his cheek.

The two soon drifted into dream world.

There's chapter 6! Next chapter is the battle against Lt. Surge. I don't know how long that will be because it'll be the first time I've written a battle. It'll be up tomorrow for sure. Until then, see ya! Oh yeah, rates and reviews are appreciated. Also, let's get some more people to read this! Let's make this one of the most popular pokeshipping fan fics!


	8. Chapter 7- The First Step

Hey guys, this maybe the last time I update this story until after Christmas. I'll try to do the next chapter during the day on Christmas Eve, if not; I'll see you after Christmas! Happy holidays! So without further ado, here's chapter 7.

Chapter 7- The First Step

After a good night sleep, everybody got up at the same time. After everybody got dressed and ready, they all met at the front of the Pokemon Center. Ash decided to have Nurse Joy take a look at his Pokemon one last time before his match against Lt. Surge, but someone was in front of him waiting for his Pokemon.

"Uh, excuse me, are you almost finished?" Ash asked the man in front of him.

As soon as he turned around, he saw Ash and knew who he was instantly.

"You're Ash Ketchum, aren't you?" The man answered with another question.

"Uh, yeah, but who are you?" Ash asked.

"You don't remember me? We met a long time ago." He answered.

Ash looked at him for another minute and still couldn't figure out who it was. Misty and Brock walked to Ash and were able to recognize him.

"Hey, aren't you Bill?" Brock asked.

"Yup, that's me." Bill answered.

"Oh, hey Bill, it's been a while!" Misty said.

"Oh, yeah, now I remember. Are you still doing research in your lighthouse?" Ash asked.

"Yes, I still live in there, but I needed to get out for a little bit." Bill replied.

With everyone else watching the conversation, they decided to walk up to the group in discussion.

"Oh, I see you have some friends with you as well." Bill observed.

"Yes we do, Bill, I'd like you to meet May, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, and Tracey." Ash introduced.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you all." Bill said.

"Nice to meet you too." The four people replied.

"Hey, I'm glad I ran into you Ash." Bill said out of nowhere.

"Really, why is that?" Ash asked.

"Because I have a Pokemon with me that I simply don't have the time to raise and I was wondering if you would like to have it?" Bill asked.

"Really, what kind of Pokemon is it?" Ash asked with excitement in his voice.

"Here you go Bill, your Eevee is fully healed. I hope to see you again." Nurse Joy said.

"So is it the Eevee you need me to take care of?" Ash asked.

"Yes actually, I love this Eevee, but I have no time because of my research." Bill answered.

"I'd love to Bill, thank you so much!" Ash exclaimed.

Bill opened the Poke ball and the Eevee came out of his Poke ball and appeared in Bills arms.

"I'm sorry Eevee, but you are going to be taken care of by another trainer and his name is Ash." Bill told the young Eevee.

The Pokemon had a disappointed look on its face, but as soon it saw Ash, it leaped into Ash's arms.

"Aw, Eevee's so cute!" The girls exclaimed.

"I have to be on my way now; it was good to see you again." Bill said.

"It was good to see you too Bill. I'll take great care of Eevee." Ash said.

"I know you will, Ash." Bill replied with a great smile before walking out of the Pokemon Center.

"So Ash, what are you going to do with Eevee?" Brock asked.

"Obviously I'm going to raise it!" Ash answered.

"What Pokemon are you gonna make it evolve into?" Tracey asked.

"I don't know yet. I guess we'll have to do some training with it." Ash answered.

"I know what I would make Eevee into." Misty said.

"I think we all do, Mist." Ash replied to her comment.

"Ash, weren't you going to heal your Pokemon before facing Surge?" May asked.

"Oh yeah, and I think I should transfer Eevee to Professor Oak as well." Ash said.

After Ash gave his Pokemon, including Pikachu, to Nurse Joy to check up, he went to the video phone and called Professor Oak.

"Hey Professor Oak, look what I have." Ash said holding the brand new Eevee in front of the screen.

"You got an Eevee? Impressive Ash, who gave it to you?" Oak asked.

"Bill did, he said he couldn't take care of it because of research." Ash answered.

"That's interesting, Bill's usually in the lighthouse doing research." Oak said.

"Well, I guess I caught him on his break." Ash said.

"Are you going to send me Eevee?" Oak asked.

"That's exactly what I was calling for. I was hoping you could take care of Eevee." Ash replied.

"Of course Ash, just put him in the transfer." Oak said.

"Okay, Eevee return." Ash said while the Pokemon was being put back into his Poke ball. Then he put it into the machine and it zapped over to Oaks lab.

"I got it Ash." Oak said.

"Thanks Professor, I gotta go eat and then I'll face Lt. Surge." Ash said.

"Okay Ash, good luck to you." Oak said.

"Thank you again." Ash replied before the video went black.

After Ash got off the phone with Professor Oak, he went to go check if they were done healing.

"There you go Ash, your Pokemon are fully healed. Good luck to you today." Nurse Joy said.

"Thank you very much." Ash said.

He went to go find his friends in the cafeteria eating. He joined them and started to talk about his future battle with Surge soon.

"I wonder if Lt. Surge added any more Pokemon." Ash wondered.

"From what I heard, he did." Misty answered.

"Really, do you know what else he has?" Ash begged.

"Sorry Ash, I can't tell you that. As much as I want too, it would violate the moral code of a gym leader." Misty said.

"It's okay Mist. I hope it'll be a good battle today." Ash said.

"I know it will be." Brock assured.

After they all ate breakfast, they walked out of the cafeteria and walked to the entrance of the gym. Ash stood still for just a moment remembering the first time he walked in.

"Are you okay Ash?" Misty asked.

"I guess I'm a little nervous." Ash replied.

"Don't be, you'll do great." Dawn said.

"Thanks, it's just I lost to Surge the first time I faced him." Ash said. Pikachu also remembers that day.

"You can't think of that now. You gotta walk in there and kick some butt!" Misty exclaimed, cheering up his boyfriend.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Misty!" Ash exclaimed.

He then walked into the gym with the upmost confidence. He saw Lt. Surge at the other side of the building.

"Hey, well isn't it Ash Ketchum?" Surge said.

"Hey Surge, how are you?" Ash asked.

"I'm now excited. Hello Misty and Brock." Surge said.

"Hey Lt. Surge." Brock and Misty replied.

"Who are your other friends?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, here's May, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, and Tracey." Ash introduced.

"Nice to meet you all." Surge said.

"Nice to meet you too." The group replied.

"Ash, I'm sure you didn't come all this way to talk did you?" Surge asked.

"Nope, I'm here to challenge you for the Thunder badge again!" Ash exclaimed.

"So that means I'm your first challenge for your tournament entry? I'm quite honored." Surge said.

After that, everyone went into a bigger room, which was the battle field. The room was dark until the lights were turned on. The tension started to rise in the air. Dawn was in her cheerleading outfit to cheer Ash on and the girls looked at her like she was crazy.

"What, this is how I cheer Ash on." Dawn said.

"Unfortunately, she's not lying." Brock said.

"You girls care to put on an outfit?" Dawn asked the girls.

"No thanks, I think I'm good." Iris said.

"I think I'll pass too." May said.

"How about you Misty, you should definitely do it cause you're his girlfriend." Dawn said.

"No thanks, I'll stick to cheering in regular clothes." Misty replied.

Now there attention was on the battlefield.

"This is an official gym battle for the Thunder badge," The referee began. "This will be a four on four battle. Only the challenger may substitute Pokemon."

"Are the rules clear?" The referee asked.

They both nodded their heads in agreement.

"Let the battle begin!" The referee exclaimed.

"Go Manectric!" Surge exclaimed.

"What's that Pokemon?" Dawn asked while pulling out here Pokedex.

"_Manectric, the Discharge Pokemon, and the evolved form of Electrike. It discharges electricity from its mane. It creates a thundercloud overhead to drop lightning bolts." _Her Pokedex said.

"_Figured so." _Ash thought with a grin on his face.

"Gible I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

Gible came out of its Poke ball and got in its battle stance.

"Manectric use Thunder!" Surge exclaimed.

"Just stand still Gible." Ash said calmly.

"What is he doing?! Gible's gonna get fried!" May said.

"Not quite." Cilan said.

The powerful thunder attack struck the land shark Pokemon, but it was unharmed.

"What, it didn't even feel it!" Surge exclaimed.

"Well that's because Gible's a part ground type." Ash replied.

"Oh, thank goodness." May said.

"Ah, doesn't matter, Manectric, use flamethrower!" Surge said.

"Use dig to dodge!" Ash commanded.

Gible dug a whole into the ground and dodged Manectric's flamethrower. Now Manectric was starting to panic.

"Hit it now!" Ash said.

Gible came out of the ground and directly hit Manectric right in its stomach. After hitting it, Gible returned to its side of the field. Manectric laid on the ground for a minute, but got back up.

"Manectric, use quick attack!" Surge said.

Manectric bolted towards Gible quickly and hit it directly, causing it to land on its back.

"Gible, get up and use Dragon Pulse!" Ash ordered. Gible started to charged up and launch the powerful attack and aimed it at Manectric.

"Manectric, use agility and then use crunch!" Surge commanded.

Manectric was able to dodge the dragon pulse and bite down on Gible.

"Use rock smash to get it off you!" Ash said.

Gible hit it with rock smash and Manectric got off. Both Pokemon were getting tired.

"Use flamethrower!" Surge said.

"Counter with Dragon Pulse!" Ash said.

Both Pokemon released their attacks at the same time. They collided at the center of the field causing an explosion. After the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were found lying down.

"Come on Manectric, get up!" Surge said.

"Come on Gible!" Ash encouraged.

Both Pokemon were able to get up, but were both exhausted and on the verge of fainting. All of the sudden, Gible started to glow white and change shape.

"What's going on?!" Iris asked.

"I think Gible's evolving!" Dawn responded.

"Ga bite!" The new evolved Pokemon screamed.

"Whoa, Gible evolved into Gabite!" Ash exclaimed.

Dawn pulled out her Pokedex to get Gabite's information.

"_Gabite, the Cave Pokemon, and the evolved form of Gible. It loves sparkly things. It seeks treasures in caves and hoards the loot in its nest." _The Pokedex said.

"Gabite, finish this battle with dragon rush!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh no, get out of the way!" Surge shouted in concern.

Gabite hit Manectric directly and it didn't get back up.

"Manectric is unable to battle, Gabite wins!" The referee said.

"Way to go Gabite!" Ash cheered his new Pokemon.

"Way to go Ash!" Dawn cheered.

"Don't get too confident, the battles just beginning." Misty said.

"That's why I have you with me, Mist!" Ash replied.

"Awww!" May said.

"Manectric, return. You deserve a good rest." Surge said.

"Go Ampharos!" Surge shouted.

"_Ampharos, the Light Pokemon, and the evolved form of Flaffy. The tip of its tail shines brightly. In the olden days, people sent signals using the tail's light." _Dawns Pokedex said.

"Gabite's impressive, but it's not gonna beat my Ampharos!" Surge said confidently.

"We'll see about that, Gabite use Dragon Rush!" Ash said.

"_Exactly what I wanted you to do." _Surge thought.

"Ampharos, use flash!" Surge said.

Ampharos's tail shined the entire stadium brightly, including Gabite, whose attack missed.

"Wow, that's bright!" Brock stated.

"Ampharos, finish Gabite Ice Punch!" Surge shouted.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief.

Ampharos was able to see clear enough to find Gabite. Ampharos's fist started to cover itself in ice and hit Gabite in its stomach. Gabite flew back in front of Ash fainted.

"No, Gabite, are you okay?" Ash asked.

"Gabite is unable to battle, Ampharos wins!" The referee said.

"Return Gabite, great job, you deserve a long rest." Ash said to his fainted Pokemon. "Donphan, I choose you!"

"Ampharos, use Iron tail!" Surge said.

"Dodge using rollout!" Ash said.

Donphan dodged the incoming Iron Tail using its rollout attack.

"Now go on the offensive with rollout!" Ash commanded.

Donphan was rolling using all of its force and it hit Ampharos directly. Ampharos was now lying on the ground.

"Keep going with rollout!" Ash said.

"Hurry, get up and use flash!" Surge said.

Ampharos's tail flashed and blinded everyone again, except Donphan. Donphan kept going and hit Ampharos again. Ampharos flew on its back and everyone was surprised what happened. "What, how was Donphan not blinded?!" Surge said.

"Donphan's eyes are covered enough to not be blinded by flash." Ash said still recovering from the flash. "Now keep going with rollout!"

"Ampharos get up and use Brick Break!" Surge said.

Donphan continued with rollout and was about to hit Ampharos for a third time, but Ampharos's Brick Break stopped Donphan in its tracks.

"Good, now use Hyper Beam!" Surge said.

"Quick, use Earthquake while it's charging!" Ash said.

Ampharos was charging up its hyper beam and before it was able to get it off, Donphan used earthquake to knock it off balance. The hyper beam was unleashed, but it missed Donphan and it hit the ceiling of the stadium.

"Good, now finish it off with Take Down!" Ash said.

"Hurry and dodge it!" Surge said. Ampharos was still feeling the effects of the earthquake as it felt dizzy, so it didn't hear its master's orders and got hit by take down. Once it was hit, it couldn't get up again.

"Ampharos is unable to battle, Donphan wins!" The referee announced.

"Nice job Ash, keep it up!" Tracey cheered.

"Good job sweetie!" Misty said, blushing after calling him that in front of everyone. Ash blushed after hearing Misty called him sweetie.

"Return Ampharos, good job." Surge said.

"Go Electivire!" Surge said.

The giant Thunderbolt Pokemon took the field and made its presence known.

"Wow, that's a powerful Electivire." Ash said. "It doesn't matter though, Donphan use earthquake!" He commanded.

"Electivire use your tails to jump!" Surge said.

As soon as Donphan used earthquake, Electrive jumped in the air using its tails.

"Now use iron tail!" Surge said.

"Use rollout to dodge." Ash said.

The ground was still shaking. Donphan was trying to use rollout to escape but Electrive hit it with iron tail before it could get started. Donphan was lying on the ground.

"Hurry get up!" Ash encouraged.

"Finish it off with Ice Punch!" Surge said.

Electivire hit Donphan before it could get up and escape. After that hit, Donphan fainted.

"Donphan is unable to battle, Electivire wins!" The referee announced.

"Good job Donphan, you deserve a good rest." Ash said as he was recalling the armor Pokemon into its pokeball.

"Come on Ash, you can do it!" Iris cheered.

"You can still win! Go Ash!" May cheered.

"This isn't over yet. Go Krookodile!" Ash said.

"Electivire, get in there and use Ice Punch!" Surge said.

"Use dig!" Ash said.

Electivire tried to hit Krookodile, but it went into the ground before it had a chance to hit it.

"Come up now!" Ash said.

Krookodile came up right underneath Electrive and hit it in its stomach. Electrive took a couple steps back after getting hit.

"Now use Stone Edge!" Ash said.

The Intimidation Pokemon had stones surrounded it and unleashed a barrage of stones at Electrive. Electrive took some damage, but was still standing strong.

"Electivire use Brick Break!" Surge commanded.

"Krookodile counter with Dragon Claw!" Ash said.

The two Pokemon charged at each other with their attacks. When their attacks met, it was a struggle of power, which Electivire was winning.

"_Oh no, Krookodile's not gonna last long if I don't do something. Wait, that's it!" _Ash thought.

"Krookodile, use Crunch!" Ash exclaimed.

While Krookodile was holding off Electivire, it crunched the midsection of Electivire, causing it pain and losing control and now backing off.

"Now finish it with Dragon Claw!" Ash said.

Krookodile was now able to hit Electivire no problem. Electivire collapsed to the ground unable to get up.

"Electivire is unable to battle, Krookodile wins." The referee announced.

"Alright, great job Krookodile!" Ash cheered his Pokemon.

"Return Electivire, you fought hard." Surge said.

"Nice job Ash!" Cilan cheered.

"One more to go!" May cheered.

"You're not done yet!" Brock said.

"Go Raichu!" Surge said.

"So you were saving Raichu last huh?" Ash said.

"He's gotten stronger since you last saw him." Surge said.

"Krookodile, use Stone edge!" Ash said.

"Use Agility!" Surge said.

After the commands, Raichu was able to dodge every single stone. Ash, Misty, and Brock were shocked to see that Raichu got faster.

"What, Raichu got faster?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Glad you noticed, now use Mega Punch!" Surge said.

Raichu hit Krookodile right in its face. Krookodile began to feel dizzy.

"Come on Krookodile, use Dragon Claw!" Ash said.

"Dodge and use Iron Tail!" Surge said.

As Krookodile swung its Dragon Claws at Raichu, it dodged without breaking a sweat and its Iron tail hit Krookodile in its stomach. Krookodile wouldn't get up after that.

"Krookodile is unable to battle, Raichu wins!" The referee announced.

"Krookodile return, you did great!" Ash said as the fainted Pokemon was returned to its pokeball. "You ready to go, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" (Yea!) The mouse cheered then jumped to the battle field to face a familiar opponent.

"So it's a rematch huh? This will be fun!" Surge said.

"Wait, what does he mean by rematch?" Dawn said.

"Pikachu and Raichu faced each other before on Ash's first journey." Brock said.

"Yeah, they've won one match a piece." Misty said.

"So I guess this will be the tie breaker?" Tracey said.

"Let's go Pikachu, quick attack!" Ash said.

Pikachu quickly dashed across the field and hit Raichu in the stomach. But Raichu barely felt it.

"Raichu, use body slam!" Surge said.

"Quick, use agility!" Ash said.

As Raichu was about to fall on Pikachu, Pikachu dodged it.

"Look familiar Surge?" Ash said cockily.

"That's not happening again. Raichu, use thunderbolt!" Surge said.

"Pikachu, use quick attack!" Ash said.

"That's not gonna do anything." Surge said cockily.

As Raichu launched its thunderbolt, Pikachu dodged it and was quickly approaching Raichu.

"I know, but this will, use Iron tail!" Ash said.

When Pikachu got close enough, it did a front flip and hit Raichu on the head. Raichu fell flat on its face.

"Get up Raichu!" Surge said.

"Hurry Pikachu, finish this with Volt Tackle!" Ash said.

As Raichu was slowly getting up, Pikachu was beginning to sprint towards Raichu with incredible speed and was surrounded by electricity. As soon as Raichu felt better, it was hit by the powerful Volt tackle. Smoke filled the middle of the battle field when they collided. As the smoke cleared, Pikachu stood victorious on top of the fainted Raichu.

"Raichu is unable to battle, Pikachu wins! That means the victor is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" The referee announced.

"Alright, way to go Pikachu!" Ash said while running towards the tired mouse and embraced his partner.

All his friends approached him congratulating him on his victory.

"Great job Ash and Pikachu!" May said.

"Nice Volt tackle Pikachu!" Brock said.

"Good job you two!" Misty said before kissing him on the cheek.

"So Ash, you're dating the Cerulean City gym leader?" Surge said while approaching him.

"Uh, yes we are." Ash said while blushing.

"Don't tell anyone Surge, or I'll beat you with my mallet!" Misty said.

"Don't worry; your secret is safe with me. Great job Ash, your Pikachu definitely got better. You deserve this." Surge said giving him the Thunder Badge.

"Raichu has gotten better too. Thank you very much." Ash said. "I got the Thunder Badge!"

"Great job Ash!" Tracey said.

"Let's go celebrate with a huge lunch!" Cilan said.

There's chapter 7. Ash finally got his first badge in order to enter the tournament. Can you leave me a review and tell me how I did writing out the battle scene? Like I said, it was my first battle scene I wrote. Reviews, rates, tips, and suggestions are appreciated.


	9. Chapter 8- See Ya Later

I hope you all had a nice holiday. I certainly did, but now it's back to the story. So here's chapter 8!

Chapter 8- See Ya Later

Ash and gang left the gym and headed to the Pokemon Center. They were still celebrating the victory.

"So Ash, when do you wanna have your victory lunch?" Brock said.

"I wanna go heal my Pokemon, especially Pikachu. You tired after that battle aren't ya?" Ash said.

"Pi" (Yea) Pikachu replied.

"That sounds like a good idea. He's exhausted." Misty said.

"So where do we wanna do for lunch?" May asked.

"How about we go out and eat. I mean, we are in a big city with lots of fancy places." Tracey said.

"That's a good idea. Maybe I could get some recipes from the restaurant." Cilan said.

"Well let's go heal Ash's Pokemon then we could go eat." Dawn said.

As they all walked into the Pokemon Center, Ash rushed to get the four Pokemon to Nurse Joy.

"Here, can you heal these four Pokemon up?" Ash asked.

"Of course I can. They'll be ready in about an hour." Nurse Joy replied.

"Wait, do you wanna come with us to lunch?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Ka Pi Ka Chu." (Na, go ahead Ash.) Pikachu replied.

"Really, are you sure?" Ash asked.

"Chu" (Yea.) Pikachu said.

"Okay, I'll bring you back some ketchup then." Ash said.

"Chaaa" (Thanks) Pikachu replied happily.

As Ash was walking back to the group, they were in conversation.

"Hey Brock, do you find Nurse Joy attractive?" Misty asked teasingly.

"I do and I know what you're trying to do. I'm over that Misty." Brock replied.

"Really Brock, you've become boring now." Misty replied disappointingly.

"Sorry to disappoint you Misty." Brock said.

"Yeah Brock, I miss when you hit on every attractive girl then Max pulled you away by your ear." May said while giggling.

"Or when you got hurt by Croagunk." Dawn said while giggling as well.

"I pulled his ear on our journey." Misty said while giggling too.

"Hahaha, you're so funny guys. That Brock is dead and gone." Brock replied.

Everyone was having a good time teasing on Brock. After all the teasing, they all went out to a nice, outdoor sea food restaurant. It was packed because it was so popular, but luckily for them, they all got a huge table to fit them all.

"This is a really nice place." Iris commented.

"It's so romantic too!" May screamed.

"Yeah, why don't you and Misty have your own table?" Dawn asked Ash.

"We wanna hang out with you guys." Misty answered for Ash.

"Yeah, we wanna hang out with you guys." Ash answered.

The waitress came out to their huge table and took their orders. After the waitress left, they continued their conversation.

"So Ash, where are you gonna go for your next badge?" Tracey asked.

"I don't know yet Trace. Where do you think we should go Brock?" Ash asked his long time best friend.

"I don't know, the closest city here is Saffron City." Brock said.

"And that's Sabrina's gym!" Ash screamed in fear.

"Why is that so scary?" Dawn asked.

"She's a Psychic type gym leader that was pure evil! After I lost to her the first time, she turned Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and I into her own dolls! It was really scary!" Ash said in terror.

"Are you sure that's true?" May asked.

"Yes, I'm not lying. I really don't wanna go back there." Ash said.

"Ash, you gotta calm down. I talk to Sabrina all the time. We're best friends now. I bet she would love to battle you." Misty said.

"Really, I don't know Mist. I still have nightmares about her." Ash said.

"Remember, you were the one who helped her." Misty reminded him.

"Oh yeah, I got Haunter to come with me and he made her laugh." Ash said.

"So I bet you could beat her again." Misty encouraged him.

"Yeah me too, and it's the closest gym to here." Brock said.

"Sweet, I guess I'll challenge Sabrina!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's awesome, I hope you win." May said.

"Thanks, hey May, when are you and Dawn gonna challenge the gym leaders?" Ash asked.

"I think I'm gonna challenge them when I get back to Hoenn." May answered.

"I'm gonna start when I return to Sinnoh." Dawn said.

"That sounds like a good idea. You should go home and see your families before you leave." Brock said.

"That's definitely the first thing I'm going to do." May said.

"Can you find out if Max is entering the tournament?" Ash asked May.

"Sure, definitely Ash." May answered.

"Oh look, our food's here!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Finally, I'm starving!" Ash said.

"When aren't you?" Misty joked.

"Here's your food everyone. I hope you enjoy." The waitress said.

"Thank you very much!" The whole group replied.

The group got their lunches. They had an all sea food buffet. There was jumbo shrimp, lobster, crabs, salmon, tuna, and all other foods their hungry hearts desired. It took them about an hour for everyone to eat their lunch.

"Who's gonna pay for lunch?" Iris asked.

"Since I won, I got it." Ash answered.

"That's very generous of you." Misty said.

"Well, you do have some money to spend." Brock said.

"Alright, thank you for coming. Hope you come back soon." The waitress said.

"Thank you for your services." Cilan said.

"Hey Brock, she was cute. I really wished you would of tried to hit on her." May said jokingly.

"You guys are still on that?" Brock said.

"Well, yeah, we miss that Brock." Dawn said.

"Like I told you before, I've grown up since." Brock replied.

"Yeah, whatever Brock." Ash said.

"Let's go back to the Pokemon Center. Maybe Pikachu's ready." Iris said.

"That's a good idea." Ash said.

As they all walked back to the Pokemon Center, Ash was the first to see Nurse Joy to see on how his Pokemon were doing.

"Hello Ash, your Pokemon are completely healed." She said as Pikachu hopped back on Ash's shoulder.

"Thanks Nurse Joy." He replied.

"Anytime Ash; congrats on defeating Surge. He's been training ever since you left that day." She said.

"Really, that was a really long time the second time I faced him." He said.

"I know, it hurt his ego a lot." She said.

"Oh wow, sorry, but I gotta go." He said.

"Okay, I'll see ya later." She said.

"Later Joy," He said to her. "How ya feeling Pikachu?" Ash asked his best Pokemon friend.

"Pi ka!" (100%) Pikachu replied.

"Sweet, let's go back to the group." Ash said.

As Ash walked back to the group, the group entered a new conversation.

"So when do you guys plan on leaving?" Brock asked.

"We should get tickets to the SS Anne tomorrow." Cilan said.

"Wait, who's all gonna leave tomorrow?" Ash asked.

"Dawn, Cilan, Iris, and Myself." May answered.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you said you guys were leaving." Ash said in a disappointing tone.

"It's okay Ash; we'll see each other again." Iris said.

"When though?" Ash asked.

"Hopefully during our own journey, but most likely at the tournament when we all make it." Dawn said.

"But that's a really long time." Ash replied.

"It's okay Ash; you'll still be traveling with Brock, Tracey, and more importantly your girlfriend." Misty said.

"Yeah, you guys are right. And maybe we can battle each other the next time we see each other." Ash said in a more positive tone.

"Challenge accepted!" Dawn, May, Cilan, and Iris exclaimed.

"But we still have the entire day left. What do you guys wanna do?" Brock said.

After Brock's comment, everyone fell on their face anime style.

"Wow, um, I don't know." Tracey replied first.

"Uh, how about we do some training?" Ash suggested.

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea." Brock said.

"Okay, but I need to return some of my Pokemon to Oak." Ash said.

"We'll be outside waiting for you." May said.

As everyone walked outside, Ash walked to the video phone and called Professor Oaks lab.

"Hello?" Oak said.

"Hey Professor, how are you?" Ash asked.

"Oh, hey Ash; I'm fine, I assume you won." Oak said.

"Yeah, but It was tough. Lt. Surge definitely got tougher over the years." Ash informed.

"I bet so; who do you want?" Oak asked.

"That's the problem; I don't know who I want. I really need to train everyone." Ash said.

"I think you should take back Bulbasaur and Squirtle." Oak suggested.

"I probably should; Oh yeah, guess what?" Ash said excitingly.

"What?" Oak said.

"Gible evolved into Gabite during the battle!" Ash exclaimed.

"Really, that's fantastic. I would really like to have Gabite for a little bit for study purposes." Oak said.

"Sure no problem." Ash said.

Ash put Donphan, Gabite, and Krookodile's pokeballs into the transfer machine and sent them to Professor Oak. Ash waited a minute for Bulbasaur and Squirtle to come through.

"Thanks Professor, I gotta go train." Ash told him.

"Wait, do you want another Pokemon with you to complete your party?" Oak asked.

"Na, I plan on catching a Pokemon I need for my next challenge." Ash said.

"Oh really, who are you gonna face?" Oak asked.

"Misty suggested that I face Sabrina. Mist said that Sabrina became a nice human being." Ash said.

"She really did; at first she was really hard to talk to, but then Misty talked to her and she must have got to her and became best friends." Ash said.

"Oh really, that's quite interesting." Oak said.

"Yeah, but seriously, I gotta go now." Ash said.

"Okay, I'll see you soon." Oak said then hung up on Ash.

"Let's go train Pikachu!" Ash said to the mouse.

"Pika!" (Alright!) Pikachu said.

Meanwhile, everyone had already released everyone from their pokeballs to get some fresh air. May released Blaziken, Venusaur, Wartortle, Glaceon, and Munchlax. Dawn released Piplup, Quilava, Togekiss, Pachirisu, Buneary, and Mamoswine. Brock released Golem, Steelix, Crobat, Ludicolo, Marshtomp, and Croagunk. Misty released Gyrados, Psyduck, Azumarill, Dewgong, Starmie, and Seadra. Tracey released Scizor, Azumarill, Venomoth, and Fearow. Iris released Dragonite, Axew, Exadrill, and Emolga. Cilan released Pansage, Crustle, and Stunfisk.

"Hey, that's a great idea! Come on out everyone!" Ash said.

He threw four pokeballs in the air. Charizard, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all came out.

"Go ahead and have some fun by socializing before we train." Ash said.

"Hey Misty, when did you get an Azumarill?" Tracey asked.

"Well, ever since I had Azurill, I've been training it and using it in gym battles and it grew stronger every day." Misty replied.

"That's awesome!" Ash said.

All the Pokemon were socializing and were having a good time, except for two of the Pokemon: Fearow and Pidgeot.

"Ash, Pidgeot and Fearow don't look like their getting along." Misty said.

"Yeah, this isn't looking good." Tracey said.

Pidgeot and Fearow stared at each other for about five minutes straight with death looks on their faces. Ash tried to get them to get along.

"Look, I know you two didn't get along, but can't you get past your differences and become friends?" Ash asked the two Pokemon.

They just stared at Ash for a minute and went back to staring at each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move.

"Pikachu, use thunder-" Ash attempted to command before being interrupted by Brock.

"Ash, you can't have Pikachu attack them. They need to battle each other in order to settle their differences." Brock said.

"How do you know that?" Ash asked.

"It's just a breeder's instinct." Brock answered.

"Alright, how about it Tracey, a battle with Fearow and Pidgeot sound good?" Ash asked.

"Sure, anything to get them to stop hating each other." Tracey said.

Ash and Tracey each stood behind their Pokemon. Meanwhile, people were surrounding them wanting to watch the battle.

"I'll be the referee. It's a battle between Fearow and Pidgeot. The first one to faint will lose. Let the battle begin!" Brock said.

"Okay, Pidgeot use Aerial Ace!" Ash said.

"Counter with your Aerial Ace!" Tracey said.

The two Pokemon hit each other directly with their attacks.

"Okay Pidgeot, try a quick attack!" Ash said.

The giant bird came at Fearow with a fast quick attack, but Tracey knew what to do.

"Counter with drill peck!" Tracey ordered.

As Pidgeot was about to hit Fearow, it got hit with a powerful drill peck attack. Fearow was gaining the upper hand, until Ash, as usual, found a way to get out.

"_I can't let Pidgeot keep getting hit." _Ash thought. "Use quick attack to escape!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot was able to get out and it returned to Ash's side of the battle field.

"Fearow, use wing attack!" Tracey ordered.

"Use Agility, then counter with aerial ace!" Ash commanded.

As Fearow was about to hit Pidgeot with its wing attack, Pidgeot disappeared from Fearow's line of sight and ended behind Fearow. Then Pidgeot sped towards Fearow and hit it with its aerial ace. Fearow screamed in pain.

"Great job Pidgeot, now finish this off with a quick attack!" Ash said.

"Come on Fearow, use agility to dodge!" Tracey begged.

Just as Pidgeot was about to finish off Fearow, it dodged the attack at the last split second. The two flying Pokemon were on their respective sides and looked absolutely exhausted.

"This is a really intense battle." May commented.

"Yeah, it's awesome!" Someone from the crowd of people exclaimed.

"I knew that these two didn't get along well, but I didn't think it was like this." Dawn said.

"Now use aerial ace!" Both Tracey and Ash exclaimed at the same time.

The two Pokemon met in the middle and each hit each other with their powerful aerial aces. After about 20 seconds, both Pokemon dropped from the air and fainted.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle, this match is a draw." Brock said.

"Great battle Ash." Tracey said.

"Yeah, you too." Ash replied.

Meanwhile, the two Pokemon got up and met each other in the middle. Everyone looked at them afraid of what was about to happen. They showed each other respect by taking their right wing and shaking each other's wing.

"That's really great that they finally get along!" Dawn exclaimed.

"It's one less problem to worry about." Ash said relieved.

"Wow, it's getting really late. Let's get to bed." Cilan said.

"Okay, return!" Ash and Tracey said to their Pokemon.

"Everyone else, return!" The gang said returning each of their Pokemon in their Pokeballs.

"So much for training Bulbasaur and Squirtle." Ash said.

"You'll get the chance to train them." Misty encouraged.

"Yeah, but now, let's get some sleep." Iris said.

With that, everyone went to the Pokemon center and went to their respective beds.

XXX

The next morning, the gang woke up and got breakfast for what would be the last time for quite some time. It was a quiet breakfast as Cilan, May, Dawn, and Iris were going to leave soon. After breakfast, they went to the harbor and wait for the SS Anne to arrive.

"Well, I guess this is it for now." Ash said.

"Yeah, but we'll see each other soon." May said.

"Good luck with your journey Ash." Cilan said.

"Thanks Cilan. It looks like your ship is about to leave." Ash said.

The gang of May, Cilan, Dawn, and Iris went on the SS Anne.

"Yeah, I'll catch you later!" Iris and Dawn shouted in unison.

"Bye Ash, I hope I'll see you soon!" May shouted.

"I'll call each of you after I'm done with Kanto!" Ash shouted.

"Okay, get it done soon!" Cilan said.

"Will do!" Ash said.

"Bye Misty, Brock, Tracey, and Pikachu!" They all shouted.

"Bye guys, see ya soon!" Misty, Tracey, and Brock shouted.

"Pi ka Pi!" (See ya soon!) Pikachu shouted.

"Well, I guess we should get going then." Misty said.

"Yeah, to Saffron City we go! And you'll get to face Sabrina." Brock said.

"Actually, we need to make a quick stop before we go there." Ash said.

"Wait, where?" Tracey said.

"You'll see." Ash said with a slight grin.

Well theres chapter 8. This was kind of a tough chapter to write for me. I decided to split them because it would be extra work for me. Next chapter may be tough as well. I'll try to post it soon. Until then guys, see ya later. Rates and reviews are appreciated.


	10. Chapter 9- I Spy With My Little Eye

This is going to be a Team Rocket chapter. This will be what they've been doing from behind the scenes. I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 9- I Spy With My Little Eye

"Man, dat was really scary." Meowth said.

"Yeah, maybe we should actually do what he says this time." James said still scared.

"Yeah, you guys maybe right for once." Jesse said.

The rocket trio just left from the meeting they had with Giovanni all scared out of their minds. They were scared of what would happen to them if they disobeyed him. While they were walking, they saw their rival gang Cassidy and Butch.

"Got back from a meeting with the boss?" The blonde haired woman said with a smirk on her face.

"Yes we did and in fact, we got assigned a top secret mission." Jesse replied to Cassidy angrily.

"I highly doubt that; what was with the terrified look on your face then?" Cassidy asked.

"I was, uh, I was…" Jesse pondered.

"She was showing us the look that we were going to give our victim." James said saving his rocket partner.

"Yeah!" The small cat Pokemon reassured his two human partners.

"Sure you were, or you got yelled at by Giovanni for the one hundredth time." Butch said as he and Cassidy began laughing.

"You wouldn't know; you weren't even there." Jesse said.

"They didn't need to be." A new voice said from behind Butch and Cassidy.

"It's you." Jesse said with the intention to kill in her voice.

"Yes, it is I, the one and only Domino." She introduced as she moved in front of Butch and Cassidy.

"Why didn't you need to tell them?" James asked.

"Cause I told them you dumbass." Domino said.

"Hey, don't call me a dumbass." James said.

"Yeah, we're the only ones allowed to call them a dumbass." Meowth said.

After the little cats comment, James face faulted onto the ground anime style.

"Gee, thanks guys." James said.

Butch, Cassidy, and Domino were dying of laughter as Jesse, James, and Meowth made themselves look like idiots as they always do.

"Well, it's been nice catching up with you two, but we gotta get going on a _real_ mission." Cassidy said emphasizing on the word real.

"Yeah, we'll catch you two losers later or maybe not." Butch said while walking away with Cassidy laughing.

"Wait, we're not done fighting yet!" Jesse yelled at the two rockets.

"Yes you are. You two need to get going _now_!" Domino told the trio angrily.

"Oh yeah, you're not the boss of us." James said.

"Yeah, you can't tell us what to do." Meowth said.

"Actually, you're completely wrong. After you guys left, Giovanni made me your superior officers for this simple mission. So here are your radios. You have to contact me daily whether they do something or not. Tell me where they are at all times, what they are doing, and if they catch any Pokemon strong or not." Domino explained to the three.

"Okay, okay, you don't really need to tell us all these things." Jesse told her angrily.

"Yes I do, and don't forget about what Giovanni said. If you blow your cover, you three are all done." Domino reminded them.

"Fine, whatever you say." Jesse said.

"Now get going!" Domino yelled at the three of them angrily.

"Yes mam!" The three responded scared.

As Domino walked away attending her own business, the three left the Rocket building in Kanto. After they walked out of the building, they all looked at each other confusingly.

"What's up Jesse?" James asked.

"How are we supposed to know where they are?" Jesse answered.

"Who knows, maybe Domino knows." Meowth suggested.

"As much as I hate that bitch, you may be right. I'll see if she knows anything." Jesse said.

"Domino, this is Jesse. Do you have a location on the twerp?" Jesse asked.

"At least you didn't bother me with a stupid question. And who the hell is the twerp?" Domino asked.

"Sorry, I mean Ash Ketchum. I call him twerp." Jesse answered.

"Okay, luckily for you, he's still in Pallet town. But he has company with him, so be careful." Domino said.

"Thanks Domino, Jesse out." Jesse said.

"Wait, I heard you call me a bitch earlier, so I suggest you watch what you say. Or I'll have you eaten alive by the Sharpedo in the teams' Sharpedo tank. Also you have a tracker with you that will always have his position, so you don't need to bother me constantly." Domino threatened.

"Yes mam. I'm leaving now." Jesse responded scared.

"Good, Domino out." Domino said.

"What did she say?" James asked.

"She said that the twerps were in Pallet Town and that we have a tracker." Jesse replied still scared.

"Okay, but why do you sound so scared?" Meowth asked.

"Well, she kinda threatened to kill me." Jesse finally answered.

"Why?" James asked.

"Cause I called her a bitch." Jesse answered.

"Wow, she definitely needs an attitude check." James said.

"Stop talking bout Domino, we gotta find da twerps so we can do our jobs." Meowth interrupted.

"Right." Jesse said.

"Yeah, but how are we gonna get there?" James asked.

"Let's see if we can get a sweet ride." Meowth said.

"Fine, I'll see if Domino will let us ride some motorcycles or something." Jesse said to the cat Pokemon.

Jesse took a deep breath before going onto the radio so she wouldn't sound disrespectful.

"Hey Domino, this is Jesse again, sorry to be a bother, but can we get some transportation?" Jesse asked politely.

"Sorry I can't do that. We're out of motorcycles." Domino responded.

"Are you serious, there is a whole garage full of vehicles here and we can't even use one?" Jesse said.

"Sorry, but they're reserved for _real _members of Team Rocket." Domino said putting emphasis on the word real.

"Why you-" Jesse started to scream before being interrupted by Domino.

"Listen you bitch, you can't use one because I said so." She replied.

"Fine, whatever." Jesse said.

"I take that as a no." James asked.

"Yeah, I guess we gotta use da hot air balloon." Meowth said.

"Alright, let's get going then." Jesse said.

XXX

The trio went into their infamous Meowth hot air balloon and began to travel to Pallet Town. They made really good time through the air. They made it to the "twerp's" home town in only two hours. By the time they landed, they saw the twerp and all his friends walk among the path that lead them out of Pallet Town. But for some reason, they felt disturbed. It wasn't that they were afraid of being detected because they were well hidden, but of what they saw in the group of young adults.

"Are the main twerp and twerpette holding hands?!" James whispered loudly, but not loud enough to be detected.

"Yeah, dey are." Meowth whispered in shock to the purple haired man.

"I knew they would start dating eventually." Jesse whispered to them.

"I think we all did, but why is it so shocking?" James asked them.

"I guess its cause we never thought it would actually happen." Meowth said.

"Yeah, I guess so. But we don't have time to talk about them. We have to spy on them and see what they do." Jesse reminded the group.

"Oh yeah, der dey go. Hurry, let's catch up to dem." Meowth said.

The trio followed the big group of young adults for about 10 minutes. Then they stopped in the middle of the road, looking up to the sky.

"Why are they stopping?" Jesse asked.

"Look up there, what is that?" James pointed to the sky.

"It looks like an air battle between two flying Pokemon." Meowth said.

The trio was witnessing the same thing that the group of twerps was. But soon as the members of Team Rocket saw Pikachu do a thunderbolt, they ducked for cover, hoping they didn't get hit. As soon as it ended, they looked up and saw the twerps run towards them because unfortunately for them, the flying Pokemon landed right near them.

"Hurry, we gotta get outta here." James said in panic.

"Back to da balloon." Meowth said.

They sprinted back to the hot air balloon and hid in it.

"Luckily they're too busy with the flying Pokemon." Jesse said.

"Yeah, but what are they?" James asked.

"It's a Fearow and a Pidgeot." Meowth answered.

After about another 20 minutes of observing, they witnessed that the main twerp got the Pidgeot and one of his twerp friends got the Fearow.

"Oh, this is big. We gotta tell Domino this." James suggested.

"She'll definitely want to know dis." Meowth said.

"Okay, I'll tell her now; James, get the hot air balloon started." Jesse ordered.

"Yes mam." James said.

"Domino, this is Jesse. We just witnessed Ash Ketchum catch a Pidgeot and one of his friends caught a Fearow." Jesse said into the radio.

"Okay, for once, you're doing a good of job. Do you which of his friends caught the Fearow?" Domino asked.

By now, they were in the air. They looked at the group to try to figure out which of them caught the Fearow.

"Which one caught the Fearow?" Jesse asked her two partners.

"It was the one with the green shirt." James answered.

"Okay, but what's his name?" Jesse stressed.

"Hm," James said while staring at him. "Oh, it's the one twerp from the Orange Islands. His name is Tracey."

"Okay, his name is Tracey." Jesse said.

Meanwhile on the other end of the radio, Domino was at her desk gathering and observing the information she had on the group of young adults. She had information on all seven of them.

"So Tracey Sketchit caught the Fearow?" Domino asked to make sure.

"Yes, Tracey caught it." Jesse reassured.

"Thanks, is there anything else?" Domino asked.

"Did you know that Ash and Misty were dating?!" Jesse asked.

"Actually, yes I did. So that's why it's so vital for you to not get involved with them." Domino replied.

"So you're planning to kidnap the girl soon?" Jesse asked.

"Yes, but not right now. Stop asking questions. Just do your job." Domino said.

"Fine, Jesse out." Jesse said.

For the rest of the day, they followed the group by air. Nothing interesting happened except they made it to Pewter City. Later that night, they were camping near the city to stay out of sight. The trio walked into the city to get items they needed for dinner, in disguise of course, but they got distracted.

"Are dos da twerps right der?" Meowth asked.

"Yeah, I wonder what they're doing out here this late." James wondered.

"Let's go spy on them and see what they were doing." Jesse suggested.

"Why not, as long as we don't get der attention, we'll be golden." Meowth said.

The trio followed the two twerps and discovered that they went on a date. Jesse was the most excited about this for some strange reason. They followed them into the restaurant.

"This is so romantic!" Jesse quietly exclaimed as she took her seat.

"I don't understand what you're so excited about this." James said.

"Yeah, what's da big deal?" Meowth asked.

"Well even though they're twerps, I feel a powerful presence of love between them. And I bet it's so romantic on how the twerp confessed to the twerpette his love for her." Jesse said dreamily.

"Shhhh, pipe down will ya?" Meowth told her.

"Yeah, you'll blow our cover." James said.

"Never mind them; it looks like our food's here." Jesse said.

"Finally, let's dig in!" Meowth exclaimed.

As the trio was busy with their food, they never noticed that Ash and Misty left the restaurant.

"Hey, where did they go?" Jesse asked.

"They must have left already." James said pointing out the obvious.

"Alright, den let's get oudda here." Meowth said.

"Fine, let's get going." Jesse said.

They decided to skip out on paying the bill and quickly walked out of the restaurant. Luckily for them, they didn't get caught. They ran back to their hot air balloon and checked their tracker to see where he was heading.

"Huh, it looks like they're heading to the Pewter City Gym." James said.

"That's enough for tonight." Jesse said while yawning. "I think we should get some sleep."

"I agree, we need our sleep if were gonna keep spying on dem." Meowth said.

"Domino, it looks like Ash and his friends are staying in the Pewter City Gym." Jesse said through the radio.

"Okay, thanks. Anything else I need to know?" Domino asked.

"No, unless you wanna know that the love birds went on a date." Jesse replied.

"Whatever, Domino out." She said.

"Jesse out." She said.

After giving Domino a report, the trio finally went to sleep for the night.

XXX

The next morning, they check their tracker and saw that they were on the move.

"Let's get moving." Jesse said.

"Right!" James and Meowth responded.

They were in the air and following the tracker to see where they were going.

"I wonder why they're heading to Cerulean City." James wondered.

"Doesn't matter, we still gotta spy on dem." Meowth said.

"Alright, they're in the gym." Jesse said.

After that, they landed their hot air balloon. They became bored so easily. It was a long few hours, but they finally saw the group move again.

"Let's go." Jesse said in a bored tone.

They fired up the hot air balloon and followed them to Vermilion City.

"Jesse reporting, nothing really happened. They just went to Cerulean and Vermilion in one day." She said.

"Okay, thanks." Domino said.

They went to sleep after Jesse gave her report.

XXX

The next morning, they saw that they were heading to the gym. They decided to quietly watch the battle. They were quite entertained from watching the battle. After watching the battle, they were pretty bored the rest of the day, until they watched the twerps and twerpettes unleash their Pokemon. Then the old them were starting to come back.

"OOH, look at all their Pokemon!" James said excitingly.

"I know, we gotta go steal them! I'm sick and tired of waiting and doing nothing!" Jesse exclaimed.

After hearing that, Meowth scratched their faces with his fury swipes.

"Guys, we can't steal their Pokemon you idiots!" Meowth yelled at them. "Domino's gonna kill us if we try to steal them!"

"Ow, that hurt!" James yelled at him.

"Yeah, and you ruined my beautiful face!" Jesse yelled at him.

They all had a mini fight where they were hiding. Luckily, the twerps didn't notice that they were right near them.

At the end of the day, Jesse only reported that Ash won his first badge for the tournament.

The next day, they reported that four of the twerps left the group. Then, they began to follow the four remaining twerps.

That's chapter 9! I know that this was a total filler of a chapter and totally boring, but I needed to bring up Team Rocket sometime. For now on, I'll just include them with the other chapters. The next gym battles gonna be really soon. Until then, cya!


	11. Chapter 10- Seeing Some Spooky Friends

Here we continue our adventure with Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock, and Tracey. Let's see where they're going now.

Chapter 10- Seeing Some Spooky Friends

After May, Dawn, Cilan, and Iris left to go home, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey have been walking all day and ended up in Saffron City, where Ash would face Sabrina. But Ash said he needed to make a quick stop before facing the gym leader.

"Okay Ash, why aren't you going to the gym now?" His red headed girlfriend asked.

"For one thing, it's night time, secondly, we've been walking all day, and thirdly, you'll have to wait for tomorrow to find out." Ash said.

"Wait Ash, are you doing what I think you're going to do?" Brock asked.

"It depends on what you think I'm going to do." Ash answered with a grin on his face.

"I don't like this at all." Misty said.

"Let's just go to bed and we'll walk there tomorrow." Ash said.

"That sounds like a good idea. We're all exhausted." Tracey said.

After that, everyone went and got changed and went to bed. Tracey and Brock had separate rooms and Ash and Misty stayed in the same room. As Ash and Misty were drifting off into dreamland, Misty would try to get her boyfriend to tell her where they were going tomorrow.

"Hey Ash, in all seriousness, where are we going tomorrow?" Misty whispered.

"Like I said, it's a surprise Mist." Ash whispered back.

"I don't like this idea at all." Misty whispered worryingly.

"Okay fine, I'll tell you if you really wanna know." Ash whispered giving in to her demands.

"So, where are we going?" Misty asked.

"Well, remember on our first journey I had to get a ghost Pokemon?" Ash replied with a question.

"Yeah, we had to go to that tower in Lavander Town and…" Misty trailed off thinking of what happened.

"Ash, are we going to that scary tower again?!" Misty whispered angrily.

"Yeah, but it's the only way that I can beat Sabrina." Ash whispered.

"I hate that idea. I thought you were dead! I don't want to happen to you again. What if you don't come back?" Misty said with obvious concern.

"Don't worry Misty, I'll be fine. You guys don't have to come with me if you don't want to." Ash said.

"No, I may be scared, but I'm going with you in that tower so I make sure I don't lose you." Misty said.

As the couple were discussing about what they were doing tomorrow, Pikachu heard the entire conversation. Pikachu began to tremble in fear while in its sleep. He began to have nightmares about that horrible night. Ash and Misty heard him making weird noises, so Ash decided to try to wake him up and explain the situation to him.

"Hey Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash and Misty both whispered to the mouse.

As soon as he felt Ash's hand grab his tail, he shocked the both of them. They both laid on the bed fried and burnt while Pikachu was fine.

"Pi Ka" (Sorry guys) Pikachu said to the two shocked humans.

"It's okay; you're still my Pika Pal." Misty said still trying to recover from the powerful shock.

"Pika Pikachupi!" (Thanks Misty!) Pikachu squealed.

"Are you ready to talk about tomorrow?" Ash asked the mouse still recovering from the shock.

"Chu." (Yeah) Pikachu said.

"Okay, so remember on our first journey we needed to go to that tower in Lavander Town to get a ghost Pokemon to beat Sabrina?" Ash asked.

"Chu." (Yeah) Pikachu replied.

"Well, I need to do that again. I know that you and Misty don't like the idea and I'm pretty sure that Brock and Tracey won't like it either, but it's the only way that I have a chance against Sabrina." Ash told the mouse.

"Pika pi ka chu pi Pikachu!" (Okay, I support you 100%!" Pikachu said.

"Really, thanks buddy." Ash praised his best Pokemon friend.

"Okay, I'm getting tired and we need our sleep for tomorrow." Misty said.

"I agree, let's get some sleep." Ash said.

As the three of them were drifting into dream world, Ash kept hearing a familiar voice. He couldn't recognize the voice, but he knew he heard it before.

"_Ash Ketchum, I need your help." _The voice said.

"_Wait, who are you?" _Ash said in his dream.

"_We've met before, you've helped me before and I need your help again." _The voice said ignoring Ash's question.

"_You never answered my question though." _Ash said in his dream.

"_If I tell you who I am, I'll be captured again." _The voice said then it drifted.

Ash woke up silently trying not to wake up either Misty or Pikachu. He went to the bathroom to wash off his face. He looked at himself in the mirror and wondered who the owner of that voice was.

"_Who was that who just talked to me? Who would need my help again?" _Ash wondered.

Misty saw the bathroom light on and knocked on the door. Ash opened the door and saw it was Misty.

"Hey Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked.

"I'm not sure Mist; I heard a familiar voice in my dream." Ash responded.

"Do you know who it was?" Misty asked.

"No and that's what's bothering me." Ash answered.

"What did the voice say?" Misty asked.

"He said that he was in trouble and he needed my help. I asked who he was and he never gave me an answer because he would be captured again." Ash explained.

"Oh, that's certainly interesting. May be you should get back to sleep. Like we keep saying, we have a lot to do." Misty said.

"Okay, you're right, I'm coming." Ash said as he and Misty walked out of the bathroom and shut off the lights and went back to bed.

Meanwhile, Brock was sleeping peacefully until they heard a voice as well.

"_Who are you? You sound so familiar." _Brock said in his dream.

"_If I tell you who I am, I'll be captured in a short amount of time. You've helped me once before and I need your help again." _The voice said.

"_Wait, don't go yet." _Brock said in his dream but he never got a response.

Brock woke up from his dream and was wondering who the owner of that voice was.

"_Who was that? He sounded so familiar." _Brock thought.

After some thinking, Brock went back to sleep with no other issues.

Tracey was having a wonderful dream about Daisy until it was interrupted by a random voice.

"_I need your help." _The voice said.

"_Who are you?" _Tracey said in his dream.

"_If I tell you who I am, I'll be captured before you can save me." _The voice said then it drifted off.

Tracey woke up and thought he was hearing things.

"_What was that? Better question is whose voice is that?" _Tracey thought.

After that thought, Tracey went back to his wonderful dream about Daisy.

Back in Ash and Misty's room, Misty began hearing the same voice that Ash was talking about.

"_I need your help." _The voice said.

"_Who are you? Are you the same voice that has been in Ash Ketchum's dream?" _ Misty asked.

"_You've helped me before and I need your help again." _The voice said ignoring her question and then drifting off.

Misty opened her eyes and turned to her boyfriend to wake him up to inform him that she heard a voice saying the same thing.

"Hey Ash, I'm sorry to wake you, but I think I heard the same voice that you were talking about." Misty whispered to him.

"Did he say he needed your help?" Ash whispered the question.

"Yeah, it sounds so familiar, but I can't put my finger on who it is." Misty said.

"Let's not worry about it; let's just try to get some sleep." Ash said.

"Okay, I'll try to. Good night Ash, I love you." Misty said.

"Night, love you too Mist." Ash said and kissed her on the lips and then they both went back to sleep without another incident.

XXX

The next morning was interesting to say the least. Everyone decided to sleep in until ten o clock. When they woke up, they all got ready for the day. After washing up, they all met in the cafeteria for some breakfast. Ash was the first one who brought up the dream.

"Hey guys, I had a weird dream last night." Ash said.

"Really, so you weren't dreaming about Misty?" Brock said jokingly.

"Come on Brock, this is serious. I had the same dream Ash did." Misty said.

"Oh, what was it?" Brock asked.

"We heard this voice saying he met him before and he needed our help again." Ash explained.

"No way, I had the same dream." Brock said.

"I had the same dream as well." Tracey said.

"This is too weird. How could we have the same dream?" Ash asked.

"May be he know who we are and decided that we were the only ones who could help him." Misty suggested.

"That's definitely a possibility." Brock said.

"Yeah, but the question is who?" Tracey asked.

"I don't know, but we'll need to figure it out later. We gotta get going." Ash said.

"So are you finally gonna tell us where we're going Ash?" Brock asked sounded irritated.

"Misty, do you wanna tell him?" Ash asked her.

"Sure, Brock, we're going to that same tower that Ash almost died at in Lavander Town." Misty said.

"What, are you crazy Ash?!" Brock yelled at him.

"Brock, it's the only way that I can beat Sabrina. I need to go there and catch a ghost Pokemon." Ash stressed to Brock.

"I don't like this idea." Tracey said sounding really scared.

"Don't worry; you don't have to go if you don't wanna." Ash told him.

As the group finished their breakfast, they all walked out of the Pokemon Center and began walking towards Lavander Town. As they began to walking to the town, it began to become foggy, even though it was almost noon.

"You guys having déjà vu yet?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, this is too familiar." Misty said.

Ash was in the front of the group holding Misty's hand. Brock and Tracey were trying to grab Misty's hand, which was reached out, but instead Brock accidentally grabbed Pikachu's tail. Pikachu got scared and unleashed a powerful thunderbolt attack. Brock and Tracey got fried up by the powerful electric attack. Ash and Misty looked back to find their two older friends on the ground in pain.

"Yeah, it's definitely déjà vu." Misty said.

"What does déjà vu mean?" Ash asked.

"It means that the same thing happened before." Misty answered.

"Oh I get it, cause it got foggy while we were walking and Pikachu shocked Brock like he did on our first journey." Ash figured out.

"Yup, that's exactly what it means." Misty said.

"I'm so smart." Ash said, acting so proud of himself.

"Let's not get to ahead of ourselves." Misty teased.

"Hey, that was a little mean don't you think?" Ash asked sarcastically.

Misty didn't even answer that. It took them about another 20 minutes to walk to Lavander Town. They were standing in front of the tower like they did all those years ago.

"Alright, who's gonna go with me?" Ash asked the group.

"I promised you I will, so I'm in." Misty said.

"No thanks, I'll wait out here." Tracey said.

"I'll stay with Tracey and keep him company." Brock said.

"If we don't come out in a reasonable amount of time, one of us will call you." Ash said.

"Okay, I got it." Brock said.

"Well, good luck." Tracey said.

"Thanks." Misty said.

Ash, Misty, and Pikachu bravely walked into the tower. It looked about the same as it did eight years ago, possibly even worse. More things were broken, every time you took a step, the floor board squeaked. It was even darker, so they needed a source of light.

"Pikachu, can you use flash?" Ash asked.

"Pika" (Okay) He replied.

Pikachu began flashing it's apple red cheeks and the entire room was beginning to light up, until he heard something that made Pikachu stop.

"What's wrong buddy?" Ash asked his loyal Pokemon.

"Pi ka chuuu." (I don't know.) Pikachu replied.

"May be the ghost Pokemon don't like the light." Misty suggested holding on to Ash closely and tightly.

"May be, but we gotta keep looking." Ash said.

They kept walking around in the dark feeling blind. They didn't want Pikachu to use flash again because they thought that it might cause the ghost Pokemon to attack. All of the sudden, they heard laughing.

"Is that the ghosts?" Misty whispered nervously to Ash.

"It might be." Ash whispered back.

All of the sudden, a Gastly and a Gengar appeared in front of them with funny faces. With them doing that, Ash, Misty, and Pikachu definitely got scared. They began to scream and run away until they tripped over a bent piece of floor board.

Meanwhile, Brock and Tracey heard a loud noise outside.

"Was that a s-scream?" Tracey asked.

"Yeah, I'm gonna call them." Brock said.

The ghosts began to laugh at the trio.

"Why are they laughing?" Misty asked nervously.

Ash didn't answer right away. He was trying to figure out why they looked so familiar.

"Hey, I remember you guys! You were the ghosts that I played with eight years ago!" Ash exclaimed.

Gastly and Gengar where happy that Ash remembered who they were.

"How've you guys been?" Ash asked.

They responded that they were well in their own unique way. All of the sudden, more Gastlys, Haunters, and Gengars were coming out.

"So, are these your friends?" Ash asked.

They responded yes. Then they asked why Ash had come back.

"Well, I'm on a journey again and I'm going to battle Sabrina. I was wondering if you would like to be a part of my team on my journey." Ash asked Gengar.

Gengar thought about it and then he retreated to talk to his ghost friends.

"May be it's a no?" Misty wondered nervously.

"Don't worry Mist; you don't need to be nervous. They aren't going to hurt you." Ash reassured her.

"Thanks Ash." She replied pulling him closer.

After about a couple minutes, Gengar and all his friends returned to the trio. Gengar said he would be excited to join his team.

"Are you sure? I don't wanna make you do something you don't wanna do." Ash said.

He said it was no problem.

"Pokeball, go!" Ash shouted as he threw it at Gengar. He was being absorbed into the red and white ball. After he was in, it shook for only a minute until it stopped, indicating that he caught Gengar.

"Alright, I caught a Gengar!" Ash exclaimed while doing his famous pose.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu added at the end like he always does.

"You still haven't changed your pose?" Misty asked jokingly.

"Why should I, it's totally awesome!" Ash answered.

Misty just giggled at the response and then kissed him on the cheek.

"Good job Ash; now can we please get outta here?" Misty begged.

"Okay, good bye everyone!" Ash waved to the ghost Pokemon.

Misty began to wave at them too. She wasn't as scared of ghost Pokemon if she was around Ash.

The ghost Pokemon waved good bye and then they faded back into the darkness.

The trio walked out of the tower alive and unharmed. Brock and Tracey were relieved to see them walk out.

"Ash, Misty, Pikachu! Thank goodness you guys are okay!" Tracey exclaimed.

"I tried calling you guys, what happened?" Brock asked.

"Well, we got tied up with ghost Pokemon." Ash said.

"So, did you catch one?" Tracey asked.

"Yep, he sure did." Misty answered for him.

"What did you catch?" Brock asked.

"Come on out Gengar!" Ash said as he released the ghost Pokemon.

"Gen Gar!" (Hello!) Gengar exclaimed.

Gengar was having a great time meeting Brock and Tracey. It did some goofy faces and messed with their own faces. Gengar was the life of the party having everyone laughing, including Tracey, who was the most scared.

"Well, let's get back to Saffron City and beat Sabrina!" Ash exclaimed.

The gang walked away from the tower and began their short trip back to Saffron City.

That's chapter 10! I hope you enjoyed it, cause I had fun writing it! It was tough at first, but then I got it rolling. I know that Ash had got Eevee and Gengar too easily, but I'll make it tougher for him and for everyone else to catch their Pokemon. The battle with Sabrina will be the next chapter; hopefully I can get it out today as well. So until then, cya!


	12. Chapter 11- A Different Sabrina

Here is the Sabrina battle chapter like I promised. So without ado, here's chapter 11!

Chapter 11- A Different Sabrina

"Hey Brocko, what's the time?" Ash asked.

"It's two o'clock." Brock answered.

"Why do you wanna know what time it is?" Misty asked.

"Well, if I'm gonna face Sabrina with Gengar, who I've never trained with, I gotta put in some training time in to see what Gengar can do." Ash answered.

Gengar was enthused that he would be used in the gym battle. He was also excited to show what Ash can do.

"Wow Ash, I'm impressed. You're making a smart decision training Gengar before heading into battle with him." Tracey said.

"Same, the old you would have just went straight into the gym without knowing anything about it." Misty said.

"Hey, what can I say? I learned a lot on my journeys." Ash said.

"Yeah, but don't forget who coached you." Misty said winking.

"Yeah, we had a huge part in your development as a trainer." Brock said.

"Brock and Tracey, that's why you're my best friends. Also that's why I love you and only you Misty. I'll never ever cheat on you." Ash said.

"I know Ash." Misty said.

After that, they decided to stop walking and have a kiss break. Everyone, including Gengar and Pikachu were beginning to get a little mad. After they were done, they looked up and they saw everyone a little mad.

"Haha, sorry guys." Ash and Misty said in unison.

XXX

Meanwhile the gang was having a great time walking back from the tower, Jesse, James, and Meowth were spying on them the entire time.

"Aw man, it looks like dey gettin stronger every day." Meowth said.

"Yeah, that Gengar looks real tough." James said.

"Domino, this is Jesse. Ash caught a Gengar." Jesse informed her boss.

"Really, that's interesting. Thank you for the info." Domino replied.

"Okay, Jesse out." Jesse said.

"What are we gonna do about it?" James asked.

"We can't do anything yet, remember?" Jesse reminded her partner.

"Yeah, otherwise Domino will have our heads for it." Meowth said.

"Or she'll feed us to Giovanni's Sharpedo." Jesse said.

After hearing that, they all swallowed in nervousness. They saw the group moving and decided to follow.

XXX

After the incident where Misty and Ash decided to kiss in front of everyone, they kept moving on towards Saffron City. They heard Ash's stomach roar in hunger. Everyone just looked at him.

"Haha, sorry guys, guess I'm hungry." Ash said.

"Well, we did skip lunch." Misty said.

"Alright, we'll have a late lunch before Ash starts training." Tracey said.

"Let me get started then." Brock said.

"Hey Mist." Ash said.

"Yeah, what is it Ash?" She asked.

"Why didn't you make up an insult about me being hungry?" Ash asked.

"Oh yeah, when aren't you hungry Ash?" Misty replied.

Ash did a face fault anime style after she insulted him.

"Really Misty, I think you're starting to lose it." Ash said.

"Lose what?" Misty asked.

"Your insults." Ash replied simply.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"Well, I think you're starting to love me so much, that you don't insult me." Ash said with a big smirk on his face feeling like a million bucks.

"Well, do you like being insulted? Because I got years of insults on you Ash." Misty replied.

"Well no, but it was just strange is all." Ash said.

"Enough arguing you two, lunch is almost ready." Brock yelled at the two of them.

Misty and Ash just started to laugh.

Their relationship has always been an interesting one to say the least ever since they first met. When they were younger, they would always go at it with each other. But when they got older, they started to become nice to each other, but they still had their fair moment of fights. After The Silver Conference, Ash and Misty went their separate ways. Ash continued to travel the world while Misty was stuck in the Cerulean Gym. That's when Ash and Misty began to miss each other, but they never really contacted each other. Misty came and visited the gang in Hoenn and traveled a bit with Ash before he began the battle frontier. After that, they really never kept in touch, no matter how hard they tried too.

"Alright, let's eat!" Brock said.

Everyone gathered around the blanket. They decided to release their other Pokemon and have them run around for a little bit and some of them eat. After a usual delicious lunch from Brock, Ash had finally decided to do some training with Gengar.

"Alright, Gengar are you ready?" Ash asked Shadow Pokemon.

"Gen Gar Gengar!" (Yeah, let's go!) Gengar exclaimed.

"Ash, I'll face you with Azumarill!" Misty said.

"I'll be the referee. This is a one on one battle. Begin!" Brock said.

"Okay Gengar start off with double team!" Ash commanded.

First there was one Gengar, then there were six surrounding Azumarill.

"Azumarill, use hydro pump on all them!" Misty ordered.

Azumarill launched the powerful hydro pump attack on all the Gengar, eventually hitting the real one.

"Now use rollout!" Misty shouted.

Azumarill was beginning rolling and gaining speed fast coming directly at Gengar.

"Gengar, use shadow ball!" Ash shouted.

Gengar charged up its shadow ball and launched it right at the rolling Azumarill. There was a mini explosion in the middle of the battle field. After the smoke cleared, Azumarill was struggling to get up.

"Hurry Gengar, use hypnosis!" Ash said.

Gengar was putting the struggling Azumarill to sleep.

"Come on Azumarill, stay awake!" Misty shouted to the aqua rabbit, but it failed.

"Okay Gengar, finish this battle with dream eater!" Ash said.

"Wait Ash, call off the attack!" Misty said.

"Gengar stop!" Ash shouted.

Luckily Gengar heard his new trainer in time to stop the attack.

"Why did you have me stop the attack?" Ash asked.

"Ash, dream eater is a very dangerous move. It can really damage a Pokemon mentally." Brock informed him.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mist." Ash said in a sad tone.

"You damn right you are! You could've hurt Azumarill real badly!" Misty shouted at him.

"Look, I said I'm sorry and I was lucky I called off the attack on time." Ash said trying to reason with her.

"Only because I told you to!" Misty shouted in anger.

"Misty, can you forgive him?" Tracey said.

"No I can't, he could have hurt Azumarill. You knew I had her ever since she was a little Azurill." Misty yelled and then she angrily walked away to the Pokemon Center.

"Wow, she's really mad at me, isn't she?" Ash said out loud.

"Yeah, maybe you should talk to her." Tracey suggested.

"No Ash, she needs some alone time right now." Brock said.

"Are you sure Brock?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, she needs some time to get her anger out." Brock answered.

All of the sudden, Gengar disappeared. Gengar went to follow his new friend and try to apologize. Ash, Brock, and Tracey just noticed, but couldn't stop it.

"Wait Gengar, come back here!" Ash yelled, but Gengar simply ignored his new master and went after Misty.

XXX

"Wow, that's unbelievable. They can actually fight." Jesse said.

"It's kinda sad da see." Meowth said.

"It really is; two people who love each other so much to fight like that." James said.

"Hey look, it looks like dat Gengars gonna try da fix it." Meowth said.

"Meowth, you go check out that Gengar, while James and I keep an eye on the twerps." Jesse said.

"You got it!" Meowth said.

Meowth left the trio to follow Misty, Azumarill, and Gengar while Jesse and James kept their eyes on the twerps.

XXX

Misty was still walking angrily to the Pokemon Center so she can heal her Azumarill.

"_Why did you do that Ash? Were you trying to hurt her on purpose?" _Misty was thinking.

Suddenly, Misty got this strange feeling that she was being followed. She began to pick up her pace, but it was keeping up with her. Eventually, it popped in front of her. It was Gengar.

"Ah! You scared me there!" Misty exclaimed.

Misty tried to get by Gengar, but Gengar wouldn't let her.

"Gengar Gen Gar Gen Gen Gar." (Please, I just wanna talk.) Gengar said to her.

"Well, I don't wanna talk to anyone, especially Ash." Misty said hastily.

Gengar tried to cheer up Misty by making some funny faces at her. It was working because she was beginning to smile and then burst out laughing.

"Okay, fine I'll talk, but let's go to the Pokemon center first." Misty said still giggling.

"Gen Gar!" (Okay!) Gengar exclaimed.

XXX

"Hey, dat Gengars pretty good at cheerin people up." Meowth said.

After he observed the interaction between Misty and Gengar, he went back to Jesse and James.

XXX

Misty and Gengar went into the Pokemon center. Misty turned Azumarill over to Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy, can you take care of Azumarill?" Misty begged.

"Of course, it's my job. I'll do what I can." Nurse Joy responded.

"Thank you so much." Misty said.

After Nurse Joy took Azumarill to the back, Misty decided that it should listen to Gengar. Gengar began its explanation trying to defend for Ash. Gengar said that Ash didn't know that move could hurt a Pokemon badly. It was an honest mistake. Gengar also apologized to Misty and said it should have used a different attack and explained to Ash to never use dream eater.

Misty was surprised how much Gengar was sorry and how much he cared about them even though they just met.

"Wow Gengar, you barely know us and you're trying to help us? You're a real good friend." Misty said.

Gengar was happy that Misty was happy, but now Gengar wanted Misty to apologize to Ash for yelling at him.

"Alright, I'll apologize." Misty gave in to the Shadow Pokemons' request.

Gengar got really excited and hugged Misty. Misty couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's go back to the guys." Misty said.

Gengar grabbed Misty and soared out of the Pokemon Center and towards the group.

XXX

"I wonder where Misty and Gengar are." Ash wondered out loud.

"I assume the Pokemon Center." Brock said.

"Probably, it makes the most sense." Tracey said.

"Wait, what's that?" Brock said.

They all saw something very strange.

"Hey, it's Misty and Gengar!" Ash exclaimed.

Gengar flew Misty right in front of Ash, but he accidently dropped her and hurt her butt.

"Ow." Misty said.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Misty answered.

Gengar apologized for what he did to Misty.

"It's okay Gengar." Misty smiled at the ghost Pokemon.

"You seem better." Ash said.

"Yeah, Gengar and I talked it out. And I decided to forgive you." Misty said.

"Really, you know I'm so sorry and I'll never do anything like that again." Ash said.

"Ash, relax, I said I forgave you." Misty said.

"Thank you so much." Ash said while pulling her in for a tight embrace.

They stayed in that comfortable embrace for 5 minutes.

"I love you Misty." Ash said.

"I know, and I love you too Ash." Misty said.

They pulled in for a powerful, passionate kiss. Every time they kissed like this, it reminded them of the first time they kissed.

"Aw isn't that sweet, you two finally made up. You can stop kissing now." Brock said.

They looked away and blushed.

"Sorry Brock." Ash said.

"Let's go to the Pokemon Center and then we can go to the gym." Misty said.

"Alright!" Ash cheered.

Everyone quickly cleaned up, put everyone back in their own Pokeballs, and ran to the Pokemon Center.

"Hurry up Misty; I wanna battle Sabrina right now!" Ash exclaimed.

"Okay just relax." Misty told him. "Hey Nurse Joy, is Azumarill ready?"

"Yes, she turned out just fine." Nurse Joy answered.

"I can't thank you enough." Misty told the Nurse.

"It's no problem." Nurse Joy said handing the pokeball back to Misty.

"Alright, let's get to the gym!" Ash exclaimed again.

"Fine, let's get-" Misty said before getting dragged by her over excited boyfriend.

They all sprinted towards the gym, but Ash stopped right before the entrance.

"What's wrong Ash?" Brock asked.

"Well, it's just that I'm beginning to remember what she did to us after we lost." Ash answered nervously.

"Ash, you have nothing to worry about. Sabrina changed." Misty reassured him.

"Okay, let's go beat her!" Ash said going back to being enthused.

The group, with the exception of Tracey, walked into the gym and began to remember what happen all those years ago. When they finally reached the battle arena, Sabrina was in a cheerful mood.

"Hey Misty!" The psychic gym leader exclaimed as she was happy to see her fellow gym leader/best friend.

"Hey Sabrina!" Misty shared the same enthusiasm.

"What brings you here?" Sabrina asked.

"Well, I'm traveling with my boyfriend." Misty answered.

"Who are you dating?" Sabrina asked.

"This guy and by the way, he wants to challenge you." Misty answered pointing towards Ash.

"Oh you're Ash Ketchum! I remember you; you helped me become so cheerful!" Sabrina exclaimed and went on to hug him.

"Uh, I'm surprised you remember me." Ash said nervously.

The reason he was so nervous was because he didn't want Misty to be jealous, but she seemed fine with the hug.

"Enough small talk, let's battle!" Sabrina exclaimed to Ash.

"Now you're talking!" Ash exclaimed.

"This will be a one on one battle, the first Pokemon to faint loses. Got it?" Sabrina told Ash.

"Yep, got it." Ash responded.

"Alright, go Alakazam!" Sabrina said.

"Alakazam!" The Psi Pokemon exclaimed, letting everyone it was ready for battle.

"Alright, this will be tough, but let's do it. Go Gengar!" Ash exclaimed.

"Gengar!" The shadow Pokemon exclaimed the same way Alakazam did.

The two Pokemon stared each other down like they were in an old Wild West movie. They were ready to attack when their trainers called it.

"Wow, it hasn't even started and it's already intense." Tracey said.

"Ash has the type advantage, but if I know Sabrina, she doesn't care." Misty said.

"Ladies first." Ash said.

"Fine, your loss; Use psychic!" Sabrina ordered.

"Fade out to dodge!" Ash said.

Gengar faded out and became invisible before Alakazam could hit it.

"Now use shadow ball!" Ash said.

"Counter with light screen!" Sabrina said.

The still invisible Gengar unleashed a powerful shadow ball right at Alakazam with deadly accuracy, but since Alakazam used light screen, the damage it received was greatly reduced.

"What, I thought Alakazam would faint after that?!" Brock and Ash questioned.

"Well that was a powerful shadow ball, but Alakazams light screen is more powerful." Sabrina said. "Now use Psychic!"

Unlike the first time, Gengar got hit by psychic and it began to show signs of weakness.

"_Wow, that was a powerful psychic attack. I can't let Gengar get hit like that again." _ Ash thought.

"Alakazam, use confuse ray!" Sabrina ordered.

"Counter with your confuse ray!" Ash said.

The confuse ray attacks met and cancelled each other in the middle.

"Try another shadow ball!" Ash said.

Gengar mustered up enough strength to deliver another shadow ball directly at Alakazam.

"Alakazam, just stand there." Sabrina ordered.

Alakazam did what it was told. Once the shadow ball was about to hit Alakazam, reflect cut out most of the power to only leave a little damaged received by Alakazam.

"_I can't use shadow ball because of that light screen. Wait, that's it!" _Ash thought of the perfect attack.

"Gengar, use shadow claw!" Ash exclaimed.

Gengar charged at Alakazam with its powerful attack and hit it directly. Alakazam was starting to look weak.

"_Oh no, he figured out how to counter my light screen." _Sabrina thought nervously.

"Way to go Ash!" Misty cheered.

"Nice move Ash!" Tracey cheered.

"It's not over yet, Alakazam use psybeam!" Sabrina ordered.

"Counter with shadow ball." Ash ordered calmly.

The two attacks met in the middle and made a huge cloud of dust covering the battle field.

"_Perfect time to finish this." _Ash thought. "Gengar finish this battle with shadow claw!"

Gengar heard the order and came charging at the weak Alakazam, but as soon as Gengar made contact, the attack did very little damage.

"What, but how?!" Misty said out loud.

"Remember, I'm a psychic, which means I can communicate telepathically with Alakazam. I knew you would use shadow claw and I ordered Alakazam to use reflect." Sabrina explained.

"That makes a lot of sense. Smart move by Sabrina." Brock said.

"Now finish this battle with psychic!" Sabrina ordered.

"Counter with shadow ball!" Ash ordered.

The two powerful attacks met in the middle, creating yet another dust cloud which covered the result. Once the clouds were cleared, both Pokemon stayed standing.

"Wow, both Alakazam and Gengar are really powerful." Tracey said in awe.

"Hopefully this battle will be over soon." Misty said.

"_No matter what attack I use, she knows how to counter it. What can I do?" _Ash thought.

Ash noticed that reflect was still up, but the light screen faded.

"_Perfect." _Ash thought. "Gengar, use shadow ball one more time!"

"It's not gonna work, Alakazam use Psychic!" Sabrina said.

Again both attacks met in the middle and again another cloud covered the middle of the battle field. But once the smoke cleared, everyone was shocked at what the result was.

"What, how could of Alakazam fainted?" Sabrina said surprisingly.

"I noticed two things. The first thing was that even though Alakazam only used very little light screens and reflects, you used them at the same time, which caused Alakazam to lose power. And the second thing I noticed was that the light screen faded. That's why I countered with shadow ball and it beat out psychic." Ash explained.

"Ash, how did you do that?" Misty asked in complete astonishment.

"I notice things others don't on the battle field." Ash said simply.

"That was a fantastic battle Ash. I can't thank you enough. Here is the Marsh Badge as proof of your victory over me." Sabrina said.

"Alright, thank you Sabrina. And thank you Gengar." Ash said while praising his ghost Pokemon.

Gengar approved and appreciated the praise from his trainer.

"Alright, I got the Marsh Badge!" Ash exclaimed doing his usual victory pose.

"Congrats Ash." Misty said sweetly then kissed him on the cheek, causing them both to blush.

"Thanks Mist." Ash said.

"Congrats Ash!" Brock exclaimed.

"Nice strategy Ash!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Thanks guys, let's get Gengar to the Pokemon Center. Gengar, return." Ash said returning him into his pokeball.

"Can I go with you guys?" Sabrina asked.

"Of course you can!" Misty said.

"The more the merrier I always say!" Ash exclaimed.

Sabrina returned Alakazam into its pokeball and joined the group to their mini journey to the Pokemon Center.

Well, that's chapter 11! And the first one of 2013! I was gonna post it in 2012, but I went out to celebrate with family. I hope you all have a happy new year. I hope you all celebrated safely and responsibly. I also hope you enjoyed this chapter. The Kanto region is almost done. I may post chapter 12 tomorrow, but we'll see how that goes. Until next time, cya! Rates and reviews are appreciated.


	13. Chapter 12- Break Time

I'm sorry to do this, but this will be another "filler" chapter. But I promise the next chapter will be the conclusion of Kanto region. So without further ado, here's chapter 12.

Chapter 12- Break Time

"Once again that was a great battle Ash." Sabrina told him.

"Thanks Sabrina, you battled great as well." Ash responded.

The gang made it to the Pokemon Center. Ash and Sabrina went up to Nurse Joy's desk and hand in their injured Pokemon.

"Can you treat my Alakazam?" Sabrina asked.

"Of course, anything for the gym leader." Joy responded.

"Can you also take care of my Gengar?" Ash asked.

"Yes I can." The nurse responded.

Sabrina and Ash headed back to the group and heard them discussing what they were going to do next.

"So I thought that I could whip us some lunch." Brock suggested.

"No Brock, you need a little break from cooking." Tracey said.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Ash asked interrupting the conversation.

"We were just figuring out what we wanted to do next." Misty told him.

"How about we go to the Celadon Mall?" Sabrina suggested.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea. There's so much that we can do there!" Misty exclaimed.

"Like what?" Ash asked.

"Well for one thing, we need to buy you some new clothes." Misty said.

"What, why? These are the same clothes I traveled in when we were traveling together." Ash said.

Ash had been wearing his clothes from the Kanto, Johto, and The Orange Islands.

"Well, that's sweet of you to remember, but you need new attire. I want my boyfriend to look good in public." Misty told him.

"What are you talking about? I look fine, don't I guys?" Ash asked the group.

Ash was looking for someone to back him up, but he got no one on his side, especially Sabrina. Not even Pikachu, who would support him, chose Mistys side.

"Pikachupi Pika!" (Misty's right!) Pikachu said as he hoped from his shoulder to hers.

"Thanks Pikachu, I can always count on you." Ash mumbled.

"I heard that." Misty said with some tension in her voice.

"Fine, I'll let you buy me a new outfit." Ash said feeling defeated.

"Yes, finally, Sabrina and I are gonna have some fun with you!" Misty exclaimed.

"Uh oh, this doesn't sound good." Ash said.

"Good luck to you, buddy." Tracey and Brock said to him.

"Before we go, I gotta give Gengar to Professor Oak. And since I'm doing this, we're getting something to eat after." Ash demanded.

"Fine, whatever, I'll still get to have my fun." Misty said feeling satisfied.

"Ash and Sabrina, your Pokemon are back to full health." Nurse Joy announced.

Ash and Sabrina went to go get their Poke balls.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna give Gengar back to Professor Oak." Ash said to Sabrina.

"Ok, I'll tell everyone." Sabrina replied.

Ash made his way to a video phone and contacted Professor Oak.

"Hey Ash." Oak greeted.

"Hey Professor." Ash greeted.

"Did you beat Sabrina?" Oak asked.

"Yes I did!" Ash exclaimed to him.

"Congrats, who did you use if you don't mind me asking?" Oak asked.

"Sure, I caught a Gengar and used him to beat Sabrina's Alakazam." Ash explained.

"Wow, that's quite impressive. Are you going to send him over?" Oak asked.

"Thanks, and yeah I would like to send Gengar to you." Ash answered.

Ash placed Gengars Pokeball into the transfer system and was transferred to Oaks lab.

"I have Gengar, thanks Ash. Would you like to add anyone to your team?" Oak asked.

"Yeah, can you send me over Staraptor?" Ash asked.

"Ah, are you planning to face Bruno of the Elite Four?" Oak asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ash answered with another question.

"I just took a guess." Oak answered.

"Well it was a pretty good one. Well, I've gotta get going." Ash said.

"Oh okay, Staraptors coming right now." Oak said.

"Okay, thanks Prof-" Ash began before being interrupted.

"Wait Ash, I totally forgot. There has been a rule change that you should be aware of." Oak interrupted Ash.

"Oh, what is it?" Ash asked.

"I think you'll enjoy it. Instead of only being allowed to hold six Pokemon, you can hold up to ten." Oak informed him.

"Huh, really, so does that mean there will be ten on ten battles?" Ash asked.

"No, you can hold ten Pokemon but the max battle number is six." Oak answered.

"That's great, I can't wait to tell everyone else. Can you also send over Eevee?" Ash asked.

"Sure, well now I've got to get going." Oak said.

Ash waited for about a minute for Eevee to get to him.

"Got Eevee Professor, I'll talk to you later." Ash said.

"Okay Ash, good luck against Bruno." Oak said.

As the screen went blank, Ash went out of the Pokemon Center to find the group.

"Hey Ash, what took you so long?" Brock asked.

"Oh sorry guys, but Professor Oak told me a new rule that I think you'll all like." Ash said excitingly.

"What is it?" Tracey asked.

"Well, you're allowed to hold up to ten Pokemon in your party!" Ash screamed excitingly.

"Wow, that's great, but you don't have to scream about it." Misty said.

"Oh, ha ha, sorry Mist." Ash said.

"It's okay." Misty replied.

"Let's hurry up and get to Celadon. It's starting to get dark." Tracey said.

The gang and Sabrina started to walk all the way from Saffron to Celadon. It took about three hours and they just made it to the Pokemon Center before it closed. They all ordered their rooms and went to sleep for the night. But when they were sleeping, they had that strange dream again.

"_I need your help." _ The voice said in each of their dreams.

The next morning, they all woke up, got ready, and headed to the cafeteria.

"Hey, did any of you have that same dream again?" Ash asked.

"Yeah I had it again." Misty replied.

"I did as well." Tracey said.

"Same here." Brock said.

"Wait, what dream? I don't know what you're talking about." Sabrina said.

"Well, we had this weird dream before where someone was asking for our help." Ash said.

"Do you know who this person was?" Sabrina asked.

"That's the problem; we don't know who this person is." Misty answered.

"Well, I may be able to help. Ash, give me your hands and close your eyes." Sabrina said.

"Uh, okay." Ash replied nervously.

"Don't worry; I'm not getting you to cheat on Misty. I'm going to figure out who it is." Sabrina reassured.

"Okay." Ash said as he held hands with Sabrina and closed his eyes.

Sabrina tried to use her psychic powers to figure out who the voice was. She traveled to last night in his dream. She discovered about his aura powers.

"_Hm, so this is how he beat me. He is truly a special person." _Sabrina thought.

After that, she went back to trying to figure out who spoke to him last night. She did find the message and tried to discover his voice. She couldn't recognize by voice, but she did recognize the power of the voice. After about 20 minutes, Sabrina let go of Ash.

"Did you figure out who it was?" Misty asked.

"I might know, but I'm not 100% sure." Sabrina answered.

"Who do you think it is?" Brock asked.

"Well, I think it's Mewtwo who's asking for your help." Sabrina answered.

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey were all shocked to hear that answer. It was one of the most powerful Pokemon of all time asking for their help.

"Why Mewtwo?" Tracey asked.

"I know we helped him out before, but what does he need our help for?" Ash asked.

"Look, I don't know if it is Mewtwo, but if it is, we have to be on the lookout." Sabrina said.

"What should we be watching for?" Misty asked.

"I don't know; anything suspicious." Sabrina answered.

"Well, let's just finish breakfast and talk about this later." Ash said.

The group finished their breakfasts and headed out of the Celadon Pokemon Center and began to head to the mall.

"Hey Brock, what's todays date?" Misty whispered.

"It's May 21st, why?" Brock asked.

"Well, for one thing, we need to keep Ash on his toes about the tournament. I'm surprised that he got two badges in two weeks, but it's only gonna get harder from here." Misty answered.

"Yeah, that is true. But I feel like there's another reason why you wanted to know what the date is." Brock suggested.

"Well, you should know that Ash's birthday is tomorrow and I wanna get him something special." Misty said.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot." Brock said.

"Wait, it's his birthday tomorrow?" Tracey whispered.

"Yeah, I gotta get him something. That's why after Sabrina and I take him shopping for clothes, I want you guys take him out to eat." Misty said.

"No problem Misty." Tracey and Brock whispered in unison.

"Thanks guys." Misty said.

XXX

The Rocket trio of Jesse, James, and Meowth were spying on the twerps and saw them heading towards the Celadon Mall.

"Domino, this is Jesse. It looks like Ash got his second badge." Jesse said into the radio.

"Okay, who did he beat?" Domino asked.

"Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym leader." Jesse answered.

"She's a tough one. That's impressive, two badges in two weeks." Domino said.

"Yeah, he's the real deal." Jesse said.

"Keep your eye on him, Domino out." Domino said.

"Wow, he's really good." James said.

"Yeah, but it's gonna get tougher from here on out." Meowth said.

XXX

"Well, we're gonna take Ash shopping. What are you gonna do?" Misty asked Brock and Tracey.

"I think we'll hang out in the food court." Brock said.

"What about you Pikachu? Do you wanna come with Ash and us?" Sabrina asked.

"Pika!" (Sure!) Pikachu replied.

"Alright, we'll see you guys later. And remember what I said." Misty said to Brock and Tracey.

"Don't worry, we got it." Tracey said.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked Misty.

"That's none of your concern. Your concern now is getting new clothes." Misty replied.

The girls, Pikachu, and Ash went around the mall to various clothing stores. Sabrina and Misty felt like they were in heaven, even though they weren't shopping for themselves. Pikachu was enjoying himself as well, though not to the extent of Misty and Sabrina. Ash hated the idea of shopping, especially if it was new clothes for him. He never really liked going to the mall. He thought it was one of the most boring things to do. Ash just waited towards the changing room doors for Misty and Sabrina to get him clothes, hats, shoes, and a new belt.

"Here ya go Ash. Try some of these on." Misty said.

"But I really don't wanna." Ash complained.

"Look, I know that the outfit you have on now means a lot, but there's nothing wrong going for a new look." Sabrina said.

"Yeah Ash, come on, please? If you do this, I'll make it worth your while." Misty said.

"Fine, but you better keep your promise." Ash said to Misty.

"Oh don't worry, I will." Misty said and winked at him.

Ash went into the changing room and tried on the first outfit, which was black shoes, a black shirt with a white pokeball design, black fingerless gloves, dark blue jeans, and a white hat with a black pokeball design on it to match the shirt. The backpack was all black.

Ash stepped out of the changing room and showed the girls the first outfit.

"So, what do you think?" Ash asked.

"I don't like it. Not enough color." Sabrina judged.

"I agree, go try on another one of the outfits we picked out for you." Misty said.

"Okay." Ash said not even trying to put up an argument.

He went back into the changing room and put on the second outfit. It started with the same black shoes, which were the only ones Misty picked out for him, black jeans, an apple red shirt, a black jacket with white sleeves and single red stripes going down them, and a white collar. The palm of the gloves was red and the dorsum was black. He also tried on the new pokeball belt that can hold up to ten pokeballs. The hat all red with a black pokeball design. Finally, his back pack was red with a black pokeball design.

Ash stepped out of the room to hear the judges' decision.

"What about this outfit?" Ash asked the girls.

Misty and Sabrina looked at him in awe.

"Wow Ash, you look great!" Sabrina exclaimed.

"No, he looks handsome!" Misty exclaimed.

"Finally, an outfit you both like. Let's buy it and get outta here." Ash said feeling relieved.

"Okay Ash." Sabrina said.

"_Wow, he really does look handsome." _Misty thought while smiling.

Ash got out of the changing room and went to the register to pay for his new clothes. After he paid for them, he decided to put them on, showing off his new style.

"See Ash, aren't you glad you got new clothes?" Misty smirked knowing that she would get the answer she wanted.

"Sure, I guess." Ash replied.

"I think you look so handsome right now Ash. You definitely look better than you did before." Misty said.

Ash was beginning to blush and smile and Sabrina just stayed out because it was so awkward for her.

They finally met Brock and Tracey at the food court.

"Hey Ash, looking good there buddy." Brock complimented.

"Thanks, Brock-o." Ash responded.

"What are you gonna tell him as an excuse?" Sabrina whispered to Misty.

"Don't worry, I got this." Misty whispered back.

"Hey Ash, Sabrina and I are going to do some of our own shopping. Do you wanna come along with us or do you wanna stay with Brock and Tracey?" Misty asked.

"Sorry Mist, but I think I'll stay here with the guys and get something to eat." Ash replied.

"It's fine; do you wanna come with us Pikachu?" Misty asked the mouse.

"Pika!" (Sure!) Pikachu answered then jumped onto Mistys shoulder.

"Alright, I'll see you girls later. Bye Mist." Ash said.

"See you later." Misty said.

The girls and Pikachu went on their journey to get Ash a good birthday present, while Ash and the guys were eating their food.

The girls and Pikachu looked around everywhere, but couldn't find anything.

"Man, there's nothing in this mall that I think Ash would like." Misty said sounding disappointed.

"May I suggest that maybe his gift isn't in the mall?" Sabrina said.

"Pika?" (What?) Pikachu asked.

"I got it! I know the perfect gift!" Misty said rushing to the store she was looking for.

"Wait up!" Sabrina shouted.

Misty now knew what she was going to get him. She was going to buy a picture frame, but inside would be a picture of Ash, Misty, Brock, Pokemon photographer Todd Snap, and Pikachu. She thought this was perfect.

"This is perfect, Misty!" Sabrina said walking back to the food court.

"Pika pika chu!" (Ash will love it!) Pikachu exclaimed.

"Thanks guys, I hope he feels the same way." Misty said.

The girls and Pikachu made it to the food court to see Ash rubbing his stomach looking like a Snorlax.

"Wow, someone ate a lot." Misty said.

"Yup, he was really hungry." Brock said.

"Wow, I'm surprised that he didn't get his new outfit dirty." Sabrina said.

"When it comes to food, I'm a pro at it." Ash said.

Everyone got a good giggle from that statement.

"Come on Ash, let's get going." Tracey said.

"I have an idea, let's go back to Pallet!" Ash exclaimed.

"Why back to Pallet?" Sabrina asked.

"I gotta train for Bruno of the Elite Four. And I wanna see my mom and my Pokemon!" Ash answered.

"Oh that sounds like fun." Sabrina said.

Everyone began to walk out of the mall and make it onto the road back home to Pallet.

"Alright, I guess we say good bye for now." Misty said.

"Yeah, I gotta keep running the gym. I wish I could come with you guys. Ash, I'll be rooting for you." Sabrina said.

"Thanks Sabrina; we gotta get going." Ash said.

"See you guys later!" Sabrina said as she walked back to Saffron.

"See ya!" The gang shouted as they walked out of Celadon.

As they were walking along the path back to Pallet town, they see a trainer jogging with his Hitmonchan and his Primeape. All of the sudden, Primeape completely stopped right in front of Ash.

"Primeape, what's wrong?" The trainer said.

Primeape was looking at Ash and Ash was looking at Primeape.

"I'm sorry, is this Primeape yours?" Ash asked.

"Yes it is; I'm Anthony." He introduced himself.

"Oh yeah, I remember you now. You trained my Primeape!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, it's been so long! How've you been?" Anthony asked.

Then Primeape jumped onto Ash and hugged him while bringing him to the ground.

"It's good to see you too, Primeape. How've you been buddy?" Ash asked.

Primeape gave him a happy outburst indicating that he's been good.

"Yeah, Primeape has been the Grand Prix Champion ever since you've let me train him." Anthony said.

"Wow, he must be tough then." Misty said.

"Yeah, the toughest, so what are you guys doing now?" Anthony asked.

"Well, I'm entering the Pokemon world tournament and I just finished getting my two badges from this region. All I gotta do is challenge one of the elite four members and then I can move on." Ash answered.

"Well, I'm impressed." Anthony said.

"Hey, what's Primeape doing?" Brock asked out of nowhere.

Primeape was telling Anthony that he wants to travel with Ash again.

"What, are you sure?" Anthony asked.

"What's Primeape asking?" Tracey asked Anthony.

"Primeape wants to travel with you Ash." Anthony answered.

The group was stunned for a second.

"Do you want Primeape to travel with me?" Ash asked Anthony.

"If he wants to, he can. I get the feeling he's sick and tired of training with me." Anthony joked.

Primeape was happy that Anthony wasn't mad at him.

"Here's Primeapes' Pokeball." Anthony said giving Ash the Pokeball.

"Primeape, return!" Ash said.

Primeape gave a happy shout before returning in his pokeball.

"Well, I've gotta get going." Ash said.

"Alright, take good care of Primeape." Anthony said.

"Will do." Ash said.

As the group went their separate ways. With no further distractions, they made it back to Cerulean City by night time. Instead of going to the Gym, they decided to go to the Pokemon Center. They ordered their separate rooms and went to sleep fairly quickly.

"_I hope Ash will love this present." _Misty thought before drifting off into dream world.

That's chapter 12! I wrote more than I thought I was going to. Chapter 13 will be a long chapter, but it will finish up the Kanto region I promise you. Until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	14. Chapter 13- Kanto Complete

Here it is everyone, the last chapter for Kanto. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 13- Kanto Complete

It was six in the morning and everyone was asleep, except for a very excited Misty because it was Ash's birthday. She was still in a comfortable embrace on the bed with her boyfriend. The first time she tried to get up, he wouldn't let her leave. The second time she tried, he kept on hugging her. So, she had an idea.

"Ash." Misty whispered in his ear.

"Yeah?" He mumbled in his sleep.

"I know you're comfortable with me in bed, but I really need to go to the bathroom." Misty whispered.

"Okay." He mumbled again, still very much asleep.

Ash finally got his grip loosened so Misty could get out of bed. Truth be told, she did need to go to the bathroom, but she wanted to get everyone else up before Ash did. She wanted all her friends to help him celebrate his birthday. She went into the room where Brock and Tracey where in, and opened up the blinds and let the sun shine on her friends face.

"Hey, what's that bright light?" Tracey asked.

"Get up you two. I need your help to set up Ash's birthday." Misty whispered.

"But it's six in the morning!" Brock said.

"I don't care, you two better get up or I'll have my water Pokemon soak you both." Misty threatened.

After hearing her threat, Brock and Tracey both hurried up and got ready as soon as possible. It was now seven thirty. Misty had a good idea of what she wanted to do for Ash. Before the trio of Misty, Brock, and Tracey left the Pokemon Center, she went back into her room where Ash was still sleeping away. She thought of an idea. She pulled out a piece of paper and began writing a note for Ash.

_Ash, _

_Meet us at the Cerulean Gym by noon. My surprise will be there waiting for you ;)_

_Love, _

_Misty_

As soon as she finished, she left it on where she was sleeping and tip toed out of the room.

Ash was still in his deep sleep mode, but Pikachu woke up to the noise of tip toeing. Pikachu followed Misty out of the room and caught up with the rest of the gang. Pikachu then caught Misty by surprise when he hopped onto her shoulder.

"Whoa, you surprised me there Pikachu." Misty said.

"Why are you following us Pikachu?" Tracey asked.

"Tracey, I think Pikachu wants to help us set up for Ash's birthday party, right?" Brock asked.

"Pika!" (Yeah!) Pikachu replied.

"Thanks Pika pal." Misty replied.

After Pikachu joined the trio, they all went to the Cerulean Gym to see what was going on. When Misty opened the door, they were surprised to see Lola up and working out with her Pokemon.

"Hey Mom!" Brock shouted.

"Hey sweetie, why are you here?" Lola asked.

"Well, its Ash's birthday and we need help setting up the gym for the party." Misty said.

"Oh yay, a surprise party, that sounds so much fun!" Lola cheered.

"So you'll agree to help us then?" Tracey asked.

"Of course I will, it'll be so much fun!" Lola cheered again.

"Great, Ash is sleeping and I told him to meet us here by noon. It's seven forty five, let's get to work now." Misty said.

"Misty, we'll finish with plenty of time before he gets here." Tracey said.

"I know, but I want this party to be perfect for Ash." Misty said.

"Don't worry, he'll love it!" Lola cheered.

"Hey mom, how is it running the gym?" Brock asked.

"It's fantastic, it's so much fun!" Lola cheered.

"Are you keeping up my reputation as one of the best gym leaders in Kanto?" Misty asked.

"Of course I am, not one trainer has beaten me yet." Lola said with a serious tone.

"That's excellent mom, I knew you could do it." Brock told his mom.

"Alright, let's get started with all the decorations." Tracey suggested.

"I have an idea; let's get all our Pokemon to help." Misty suggested.

"That's a great idea, come on out everyone!" Brock exclaimed.

With that, Steelix, Golem, Crobat, Marshtomp, Ludicolo, and Croagunk all came out of their poke balls. Misty and Tracey all released their Pokemon to help out as well.

Everyone began doing something to help set up for Ash's surprise birthday party.

XXX

It was eleven in the morning and Ash was now beginning to just wake up. He felt like a zombie this morning. He didn't even notice that Misty and Pikachu were gone. He went to the bathroom to get washed up. It took him about an hour total and he felt refreshed and awake, and that's when he noticed that Misty and Pikachu were gone.

"Misty, Pikachu, where are you guys?" Ash said to himself out loud.

"_Maybe Brock and Tracey know where they are." _Ash thought.

He went out to check in their room, but they weren't there either.

"_This is getting weird." _Ash thought to himself.

He went back to his room and get to his stuff when he saw the note on the bed.

Ash opened it and read it.

_Ash, _

_Meet us at the Cerulean Gym by noon. My surprise will be there waiting for you ;)_

_Love, _

_Misty_

After he read the note, he checked the clock on the wall. It read 12:30.

"Aw man, I'm late for my surprise!" Ash exclaimed.

Ash then got his stuff and checked out of the Pokemon Center and sprinted towards the Cerulean Gym.

XXX

It turned out that Tracey was right. They finished at ten in the morning. They had two hours to spare. To kill the time, Lola and Misty's Pokemon were playing with each other in the swimming pool. Lola and Misty were talking about their love for water Pokemon. Brock and Tracey thought of a great idea and wanted to propose to everyone.

"Hey Misty and mom, Tracey and I thought up of a good idea." Brock said.

"What is it guys?" Misty asked curiously.

"We thought that we should call Professor Oak and Ash's mom and have them along with Ash's Pokemon be included in the surprise." Brock suggested.

"That's a fantastic idea Brock!" Lola cheered.

"That is fantastic!" Misty cheered.

"We'll get on that now." Tracey said.

Tracey and Brock went to the video phones to go call Professor Oak and Delia and they gladly accepted the idea in being part of Ash's surprise party. As soon as they pulled down two televisions in the middle of the room to have Professor Oak and Delia be a part of the celebration, they heard the front door open.

"Quick, turn off the lights." Misty whispered.

Brock was the closest to the lights. Ash walked into a completely dark gym.

"This is really odd." Ash said out loud.

Ash began to feel for a light switch. As soon as he flicked the switch on, he was completely taken by surprise.

"SURPISE!" Everyone in the room, including the Pokemon, shouted.

After taking a second to recover from the surprise, Ash was really happy.

"Wow, you guys got me really good." Ash told everyone.

Misty was the first one to walk up to him and wish him a happy birthday personally.

"Happy birthday Ash." Misty said to him so sweetly.

"Thanks Misty, who set all of this up?" Ash asked.

"We all did silly, but it was my idea." Misty answered.

"You planned this out for me?" Ash asked curiously.

"Yeah, I thought it would be a good way to celebrate it." Misty answered.

"You know you didn't have to do this right?" Ash told her.

"I know, but I wanted too." Misty said.

"Thank you so much Misty. I love you so much." Ash said beginning to blush.

"I love you too Ash." Misty said blushing as well.

After the exchange of words, Ash and Misty began kissing passionately in front of everyone, which was making it awkward for everyone else in the room.

"Hello, we helped with the party too you know?" Brock shouted getting the attention of Ash and Misty. After he said that, he got a smack on the back of the head from his mom.

"Hey, what was that for?" Brock asked.

"That was rudely interrupting the two love birds." Lola answered.

"But in his defense, if he didn't, they would've kept going." Tracey said.

Ash and Misty turned to everyone else and apologized.

After they apologized, Ash realized the two tvs that Professor Oak and his Mom were on.

"Whoa, hey guys, I didn't even notice that at first. Hi mom, hi Professor." Ash said.

"Happy birthday Ash from myself and all of your Pokemon!" Professor Oak said and then all of Ash's Pokemon in the background shouting happy birthday to Ash.

"Hey guys, thanks a lot. I can't wait to see you all again!" Ash exclaimed.

"Happy birthday sweetie!" Delia exclaimed.

"Thanks mom, like my new outfit?" Ash asked.

"Why, yes I do. Who picked it out for you?" Delia asked.

"Sabrina and I did. I felt like he needed a new style." Misty answered.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you." Delia said.

"Hey mom, Professor, we'll be on our way home soon." Ash told them.

"That's great sweetie, but why are you coming home so soon?" Delia asked.

"I think Ash wants to train his Pokemon and get ready for Bruno of the Elite Four." Oak answered.

"Yay, my baby's coming home to visit! When will you be here?" Delia asked in excitement.

"Later today." Ash answered.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Be good and don't forget to change your-"

"MOM!" Ash shouted interrupting her statement.

Brock, Misty, and Tracey all giggled at what was going on, leaving Lola confused.

"I got to go and take care of the Pokemon. I'll see you when you get here." Oak said.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Ash said.

Delia and Professor Oak hung up and Ash turned his attention to Brock and Lola.

"Thank you Brock and Mrs. Harrison for setting up this for me." Ash said.

"It's no problem dear. And you can call me Lola you know." Lola replied.

"No problem Ash, anything for my best friend." Brock replied.

Ash and the gang spent some time enjoying the party. All of the sudden, they received a phone call.

"I wonder who that could be." Tracey wondered as he went to the video phone and answered it.

"Hello." Tracey answered.

"Like, hey there Tracey." Daisy answered.

"Oh, uh hi Daisy." Tracey said.

"Like, what's up with the gym? And like, how's your journey going?" Daisy asked.

"Oh, uh the gym's doing really well with Lola running it. And our journey is going really well. How are you doing?" Tracey asked.

"That's like, really cool and stuff. I'm like, having a great time." Daisy replied.

Misty saw that Tracey was talking to Daisy and decided to barge in.

"Hey Daisy." Misty said.

"Oh, like, hey little sis!" Daisy squealed.

"How's everything going?" Misty asked.

After Misty and Daisy began to converse, he decided to leave them to go back to the party.

"It's going great, hey can I like, ask you something?" Daisy asked.

"Uh, sure, what's up?" Misty asked curiously.

"Does Tracey like me or something? He always acts so strange around me." Daisy said.

"Honestly, I think 'like' is an understatement. I think he loves you." Misty whispered.

"Really, well it does make a lot of sense." Daisy said.

"What do you like him or something?" Misty asked with a smirk on her face.

"Well, he is kinda cute I guess." Daisy confessed.

"I think you two would be great for each other." Misty said.

"Really, I mean, it's not that I don't like him or anything, I just think he's too shy." Daisy said.

"I think you should give him a chance. It'll be good for you." Misty said.

"How so?" Daisy asked.

"Obviously, I don't know much about your love life, but it seems like you always go after the strong, muscular athletes with a lot of money right?" Misty asked.

"Well yeah, like, who wouldn't other than you?" Daisy asked.

"That's not the point. The point is that Tracey is obviously different from those guys and I think both of you could benefit. You can go out with a really nice guy and you can help him by getting him out of his shell a little." Misty explained.

"Well, you do put up a good argument. I think I'll ask him out when we get back." Daisy said.

"That's good, but when do you get back?" Misty asked.

"In about a month." Daisy answered.

"Well, you're gonna have to wait then. Ash is going to challenge Bruno soon and by the time you get back, we'll be in Johto." Misty told her.

"Well, alright then. I gotta go though, I'll talk to you later." Daisy said.

"Okay, see you later then." Misty said as they waved to each other and then hung up.

After the conversation with Daisy, Misty decided it was time to give Ash his present.

"Hey Ash, I have a present for you." Misty said to him.

"Really, you do?" Ash asked.

"Come on, Ash is gonna open his present." Brock said to everyone.

Everyone gathered around to watch Misty give Ash his present. They were all excited, but Misty was more nervous than anything.

"Here ya go." Misty said. _"I hope he loves it." _She thought.

After receiving the bag which contained his present, Ash took out the wrapping paper and took out the picture frame which contained the picture Misty put in.

"Ash, do you like it?" Misty asked.

Ash was in the trance just stared the picture. It was a picture of himself, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Pokemon Photographer Todd Snap, and some of their Pokemon on Ash's first ever journey. He always remembered that day.

"Hello, earth to Ash?" Misty said.

"Misty, I… love it." Ash finally said breaking out of his trance.

"Really?" Misty asked.

"Of course I do. You know you didn't have to get me anything right?" Ash said.

"I know, but I wanted to." Misty said.

Ash didn't say anything and went to embrace Misty, which she was happy to accept and return.

"Aw, so cute." Brock said sarcastically.

Once again, Lola smacked Brock on the back of the head.

"Brock Harrison, stop ruining Ash and Misty's moments." Lola said.

Everyone got a good laugh. After Ash received the gift, he wanted to go to Pallet Town.

"Hey guys, let's go to Pallet town." Ash said.

"It is your birthday. Let's clean everything up and head over." Misty said.

Everyone cleaned up the gym and said their goodbyes to Lola.

XXX

They made it to Pallet Town in time for dinner, which was held at Professor Oak's lab. All of Ash's Pokemon were glad that he was there. After a delicious dinner by Delia, Ash and the gang went out back and talked to his Pokemon about who he was going to use in the battle against Bruno of the Elite Four.

"I know you all want to be in this battle, but I need some of you more than others." Ash said to his Pokemon.

"Hey Professor, do you know how many Pokemon Bruno will use?" Brock asked.

"Yes, all Elite Four members are only allowed to use three Pokemon." Oak answered.

"Thanks Professor, that helps a lot." Ash said.

"Do you know who you're going to use?" Misty asked.

The Pokemon looked at their master waiting on who he said he wanted to use.

"Let's see," Ash began. "I think I'm going to use Pidgeot, Staraptor, and Primeape in this battle."

"Very interesting choices, well good luck then." Professor Oak said.

"I know you can beat him." Misty encouraged.

"We'll start training tomorrow morning and throughout the week. So I'll need all of your help, got it guys?" Ash said.

The Pokemon cheered on Ash. Then Ash and the gang went to bed to get some sleep.

For the next week, Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, and all of their Pokemon trained intensely. Even though Ash was only using three Pokemon for the Elite Four battle, all of his Pokemon at the lab were getting trained to reach all of their limits because everyone knows that they are going to be needed later.

After Ash and the gang stayed for the week for training, they decided to leave for the Indigo Plateau where they would face Bruno.

"Ash, before you leave, do you want me to keep that photo Misty gave you?" Delia asked.

Ash had no idea what to do with it. He wanted to keep it with him, but it was in a picture frame and not in a travel picture chain. He didn't want to upset Misty though.

"Wait, I have an idea." Ash said.

Ash took it out of the frame and found a necklace with a picture carrier. He cut the picture enough to where everyone was still visible in the picture and put the picture in the picture carrier and then wore it.

"Ash, that's a great idea!" Misty said excitedly.

"I love this picture. I wanted to keep it with me." Ash said.

"Well, you should get going. Good luck Ash. Oh yeah, and don't forget to change your-"

"MOM, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO STOP THAT?! IM 19!" Ash yelled at her.

Everyone laughed and Delia just giggled. The gang left for the Indigo Plateau.

XXX

It took them a week to reach the Indigo Plateau. When they finally reached there, they all sighed in relief simultaneously.

"We finally made it!" Ash cheered tiringly.

"Yeah!" The other three cheered tiringly.

"Maybe we should take a nap before you face Bruno." Misty suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea." Brock said.

They went into the Pokemon Center and gave their Pokemon to Nurse Joy to rest up and checked into rooms for the night.

The next morning, Ash was excited as ever for this battle. They went to a receptionist whose desk was in front of four doors, each of them leading to one of the members of the elite four.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"Hi, my name's Ash Ketchum and Im here to challenge Bruno." Ash said.

"Can I see your Pokedex?" She asked.

"Uh, sure." He replied.

She took his Pokedex and scanned it into the tournament system database. Ash's information appeared on the computer screen.

"Well, you obtained two badges in the Kanto region. You are allowed to face Bruno. Follow me to his room." She said.

The group followed the receptionist to Bruno's room. As soon as they entered, they saw Bruno on the other side of the dojo like arena. As they all bowed onto the floor, Bruno greeted.

"Welcome challenger. I assume you're here to challenge me to advance aren't you?" Bruno asked.

"Yes I am. I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Ash said.

"Let's get straight to it." Bruno said.

"Okay, it's a three on three battle. The first person to defeat all three Pokemon will be the winner. Only the challenger may substitute. Let the battle begin!" The referee said.

"I choose Hitmonchan!" Bruno said.

"Pidgeot, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

"You can do it Ash!" Tracey and Brock cheered.

"Go Ash, kick his butt!" Misty cheered.

"Your move Ash." Bruno said.

"Okay, Pidgeot use Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted.

The Bird Pokemon sped at the punching Pokemon.

"Hitmonchan, dip and dodge it." Bruno commanded calmly.

When Pidgeot got close to hitting Hitmonchan, it dipped and dodged the attack like it was dodging an incoming punch in a boxing match. Everyone, especially Ash, was really surprised to see Hitmonchan dodge the attack.

"Use Sky Uppercut!" Bruno said.

As soon as Pidgeot turned around, Hitmonchan jumped incredibly high and hit Pidgeot with the powerful uppercut.

"Pidgeot, are you okay?" Ash asked.

It signaled that it was fine.

"Good, now get in there and use Steel Wing!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeot's wings turned to steel and rushed in to attack.

"Hitmonchan, use Fire Punch on his wings." Bruno said.

When Pidgeot got in range, Hitmonchan's fist was engulfed in fire and hit the wings, causing the Bird Pokemon a tremendous amount of pain.

"No Pidgeot!" Ash shouted concerned about his Pokemon.

Pidgeot was engulfed by flames after the fire punch. Then he went down.

"Are you okay?! Come on, you just have to get up!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeot struggled to get up, but it finally did.

"Hitmonchan, finish this battle up with a Thunder Punch!" Bruno exclaimed.

"Come on Pidgeot, use Agility!" Ash shouted.

As soon as Hitmonchan got in range to use Thunder Punch, Pidgeot dodged it.

"Great job, now let's use Brave Bird!" Ash exclaimed.

This was Pidgeot's first time using it in battle. It was charging at Hitmonchan at great speed surrounded by fire. As it got closer, it spread it wings and was surrounded in blue fire. Pidgeot hit Hitmonchan and there was an explosion in the middle of the field. As soon as the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were lying on the field fainted.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle, this match is a draw." The referee said.

"Wait, why did Pidgeot faint?" Misty asked.

"Well, I guess after taking a lot of damage from those attacks, Pidgeot was too tired to continue." Tracey said.

"Pidgeot return. You did a great job." Ash said.

"Hitmonchan return." Bruno said.

"I wonder who Ash is going to use next." Brock wondered.

"Primeape, I choose you!" Ash shouted.

"Guess that answers your question." Misty said.

"Time to battle, Hitmonlee!" Bruno shouted.

"Primeape versus Hitmonlee, battle begin!" The referee shouted.

"Use High Jump Kick!" Bruno exclaimed.

Hitmonlee began to skip and then it accelerated into a long jump with its kick extending towards Primeape.

"Ha, perfect, Primeape dodge and use Mach Punch!" Ash demanded.

As Hitmonlee's foot was getting closer towards Primeape, Primeape dodged it and hit Hitmonlee in the face with Mach Punch. They went back on the opposite sides of their masters.

"Primeape, get in there and use Mach Punch back to back!" Ash shouted.

"Use Close Combat as well Hitmonlee!" Bruno ordered.

Both Pokemon went in close to each other and launched their attacks. As soon as Hitmonlee lifted its leg up and kicked, Ash went in on the attack.

"_Perfect." _He thought. "Primeape, dip that kick and use Low Sweep on the leg he's standing on!" Ash ordered.

Primeape dipped Hitmonlee's kick and swept its other leg and Hitmonlee hit the ground hard.

"No!" Bruno shouted.

"Yes, now finish this battle with Close Combat!" Ash shouted.

Primeape got on top of a defenseless Hitmonlee and started beating the kicking Pokemon until it fainted.

"Hitmonlee is unable to battle, Primeape wins!" The referee shouted.

"Nice job Ash!" the trio shouted.

"Great job, Primeape, it looks like that training from Anthony is paying off." Ash said.

"You're a great trainer Ash, but you won't be able to beat my last Pokemon. Go Machamp!" Bruno shouted.

"Primeape versus Machamp, begin!" The referee announced.

"Let's go Primeape, use Mach Punch!" Ash shouted.

Primeape obviously had the speed advantage, but that's exactly what Bruno wanted him to do.

"Machamp, grab Primeape and use Submission!" Bruno shouted.

When Primeape launched his fist at Machamp, he used his top two arms to grab Primeape's fist and used his other arms to grab his body and began to roll around on the floor and then threw Primeape up in the air.

"Now use Seismic Toss!" Bruno commanded.

Machamp jumped up and grabbed Primeape while in the air and threw it to the ground. Machamp ended up on top of the fainted Primeape.

"Primeape is unable to battle, Machamp wins!" The referee said.

"Primeape return. I'm sorry Primeape." Ash said discouraged.

"Oh no, Ash is starting to get discouraged." Brock said.

"Come on Ash, don't give up yet! I know you can beat Bruno!" Misty shouted.

Pikachu shouted and encouraged his master.

"_I have all the support in the world." _Ash thought beginning to smile.

"You're my last hope." Ash said to himself getting Staraptor's Pokeball. "Staraptor, I choose you!"

The Predator Pokemon came out of its Pokeball and screamed.

"Now the final battle will be Staraptor versus Machamp, battle begin!" The referee shouted.

"Staraptor, use Aerial Ace!" Ash ordered.

Staraptor gained speed and was about to hit Machamp.

"Machamp, grab Staraptor and use Brick Break!" Bruno shouted.

Machamp caught Staraptor's beak and hit its back with a powerful Brick Break.

"Finish with Close Combat!" Bruno shouted.

"Hurry and counter with your Close Combat!" Ash shouted.

Staraptor flew up off the ground and the Superpower Pokemon and Predator Pokemon were going at it with their close combats. They perfectly countered each other.

"Use Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted.

Machamp was too distracted by the hand combat and got hit by the Aerial Ace directly. It landed on the ground on its back, but it was far from done battling.

"Get up and use Focus Blast!" Bruno shouted.

Machamp got up and launched the blue ball of energy at the Predator Pokemon.

"Dodge it." Ash said.

Staraptor dodged the attack with little effort. Ash had to think of the strategy and fast.

"_If I don't think of something fast, I'm going to lose this battle." _Ash thought.

"I wonder what he's thinking." Tracey said.

"Probably a strategy to win this battle! Go Ash!" Misty cheered.

"Use Focus Blast again!" Bruno said.

"_Perfect, now's my chance to attack." _Ash thought.

"Use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.

"What's Ash doing? He'll just catch it and use Brick Break again." Brock thought out loud.

As Staraptor got closer, that's when Bruno made his move.

"Use Ice Punch!" Bruno shouted.

"Spin out of the way!" Ash shouted.

As the Ice Punch was getting closer, Staraptor spun and avoided getting hit.

"What, how did it do that?!" Bruno exclaimed.

"Now turn around and finish this battle with Brave Bird!" Ash ordered.

Staraptor turned around and sped towards Machamp surrounded by red fire. Then it expanded its wings and the fire turned to blue as it continued its assault. Once Staraptor made contact, there was a huge explosion in the middle of the field. Once the smoke cleared, Staraptor was still flying while Machamp lied on the floor fainted.

"Machamp is unable to battle, Staraptor wins, which means Ash is the winner!" The referee said.

"Alright Ash, way to go!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Way to go Ash!" Brock exclaimed.

Misty walked up to Ash and kissed him passionately.

"I knew you could do it sweetie." Misty whispered in her ear.

"Thank you for everything Misty." Ash whispered back.

Each of the trainers returned each of their Pokemon and met each other in the middle of the field.

"That was an excellent battle today. You really are an excellent trainer. You'll definitely go far in the tournament once you make it there. Here, take this." Bruno said handing him a token with the letter K and a number one on it.

"What's with the token?" Ash asked.

"There are four of these tokens and they are symbols of your battle with an elite four member. Each member you face will give you a token once you beat them with the letter of the region on it and a number." Bruno explained.

"That makes sense." Brock said.

"That's quite impressive." Tracey said.

"Thank you Bruno. Alright, I got a token!" Ash exclaimed doing his victory pose along with the Pokemon that battled.

"Good luck Ash, I'll be cheering you on." Bruno said.

"Thanks Bruno." Ash said.

"Where are we going now Ash?" Misty asked.

"I think we should go back to Pallet." Ash suggested.

Everyone agreed with Ash's idea and bowed off the dojo and headed out of the room.

That's chapter 13. I'm sorry this chapter took really long. I started on Thursday and my grandfather died that day. I tried to finish on Friday but I had to spend time with my family. The funeral was Saturday so I couldn't get on and work on it then. I promise I won't have another delay like that again. Next chapter is the beginning of the Johto Journey and find out where Gary, May, Dawn, and other known characters are. Until then, see ya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated.


	15. Chapter 14- Johto Journey Begins

Like I said in the last chapter, I'm sorry for the long wait. I had a lot going on that weekend which took me away from my lab top. This is where the gang will begin their journey in Johto and everyone will begin to catch more Pokemon other than Ash. So without further ado, let's begin the journey!

Chapter 14- Return to Johto

After the victory over Bruno, Ash and the gang decided to head back to Pallet Town for a quick celebration and a change in Ash's lineup.

"Brock what's todays date?" Misty asked.

"It's June 6th, why?" Brock asked.

"Well, we gotta find a faster way back to Pallet Town. We can't spend another week to get to Pallet Town. We gotta get through Johto." Misty said concerned.

"I guess so. Hey, how about we fly to Pallet?" Ash suggested.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea Ash." Tracey said.

"Ash comes up with good ideas sometimes." Misty said jokingly.

"Haha, you're so funny Misty." Ash replied sarcastically.

"Love you Ash." Misty said.

"I know." Ash replied confidently.

"Let's stop screwing around and get out our flying Pokemon." Brock said.

Tracey released Fearow while Ash released Staraptor, Charizard, and Pidgeot.

"I didn't know you kept Charizard with you." Tracey said.

"Well, I figured you guys didn't wanna walk, so I kept Charizard so we could fly back to Pallet." Ash said.

Tracey got on Fearow's back, Brock got on Staraptor's back, Ash got on Charizard's back, and Misty wanted to go on with Ash.

"Hey Ash, how about you give Pidgeot a rest. It still looks tired from that battle." Misty suggested.

"How about it Charizard, can you handle me and Misty until you get to Pallet Town?" Ash asked.

Charizard roared in approval.

"Okay, get on Mist." Ash said.

Misty got on Charizard's back and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist while he returned Pidgeot to get some more rest.

"Let's go everyone!" Ash exclaimed.

As Brock got onto Staraptor, they all began to fly towards Pallet Town.

They've spent the entire day flying and they landed in one of the busiest cities in all of Kanto, Viridian City. It was beginning to get dark outside, so they decided to stop here for the night.

"Let's stay in Viridian for the night." Ash suggested.

"I like that idea. Then we could walk back to Pallet and it wouldn't take as long." Brock added.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted." Tracey said.

"I'm not tired at all." Ash said.

"When aren't you hyper?" Misty asked jokingly.

"I'm getting tired too, are you guys going to bed?" Brock asked.

"It's only eight o'clock and you're tired already?" Misty asked.

"I guess you guys are old." Ash teased his two older friends.

"Yeah whatever; are you guys going to bed or no?" Brock asked.

"No were not; in fact, do you wanna go get something to eat Misty?" Ash asked.

Misty was caught off guard by his question.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Misty asked.

"Yes I am." Ash said confidently.

"Of course I'll go on a date with you. Just let me get washed up." Misty said.

"Okay, I'll wait outside." Ash said.

Before Brock went to bed, he followed Ash outside wondering what he was doing.

"Hey Ash." Brock said.

This caught Ash of guard and was a little surprised to see Brock there.

"Geez Brock, you kinda scared me there." Ash said.

"Sorry buddy, but I wanted to ask why you are taking her out." Brock asked curiously.

"It's our one month anniversary. And I even got her a gift too." Ash whispered.

"Oh yeah, congrats man. What did you get her?" Brock asked.

Ash pulled out a black rectangular box and opened it. It was a platinum necklace and had a water symbol on the end of it made out of sapphire.

"Wow, she'll love it. It looks like a Cascade badge at the end on it." Brock pointed out.

"Yeah, it kinda does. I really hope she likes it." Ash said.

Misty finished with getting ready and walked out of the hotel they were staying at, causing Ash to panic and put it away quickly.

"Hey Brock, what are you still doing up? I thought you were going to bed." Misty asked curiously.

"I was… uh asking Ash something. Yeah, thanks for your help pal. I'm going in to my room and going to bed." Brock said nervously trying not to get Ash caught.

"Uh, that was weird." Misty said.

"Yeah, but let's get going. I know the perfect place." Ash said.

"Where are we going?" Misty asked.

"You have to wait and see." Ash said.

Ash and Misty held each other's hands and went on a walk to where Ash wanted to go.

Meanwhile, Brock and Tracey were getting ready to go to sleep.

"Hey Brock, what did you go outside for?" Tracey asked.

"I wanted to see what Ash was doing. They're having there one month anniversary date." Brock said.

"That's cool I guess." Tracey said plainly.

"Alright, I think it's time for us to go to bed." Brock said.

"I agree, good night Brock." Tracey said to tired doctor and breeder.

"Night Tracey." Brock replied to the watcher and lab assistant.

Meanwhile, Ash and Misty were still walking to find this place Ash was talking about. All of the sudden, Ash stops walking.

"Here it is Mist, the Viridian Diner." Ash said proudly.

"Wow, this place is really fancy and expensive. Are you sure you wanna have dinner here?" Misty questioned.

"Why not, it's what you've always wanted right?" Ash answered Misty with a question.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"You'll see when we get in there." Ash answered.

Ash and Misty walked into the fancy restaurant and went to the front to get a seat. The restaurant looked really elegant. It had multiple floors to it as well. They were near the bar area where people would usually watch Pokemon matches on TV.

"Hi, I would like to get a seat for two please." Ash said.

"No problem, just follow me." The waitress said.

Ash and Misty followed the waitress to their table. They had to go to the fifteenth floor. They were placed near the window with an incredible view of Viridian City. The table had a red cover on it with a candle lit in the middle of the table. It also had a bouquet of roses in the middle as well.

"Here you are." The waitress said.

"Wow, Ash, look at the view." Misty said in awe while taking her seat.

"It's really nice." Ash commented as he was taking his seat.

"I'm Veronica and I'll be your waitress tonight. Are you two thirsty?" Veronica asked.

"Yes, I'll just have some water please." Misty replied.

"Yeah, can I get the same thing?" Ash asked.

"Yes you may. Two waters coming right up. Do you want to order yet or do you need time?" Veronica asked.

"I think we need some time before we order, thank you though." Ash said.

"Okay, I'll be back with your waters shortly." Veronica said.

"Thank you." Ash and Misty said in unison.

"_Why did he bring me here? Did I forget something important? Why should I worry that he's spoiling me? I'm supposed to enjoy this aren't I? I still wish why he brought me here." _Misty was thinking to herself. Ash noticed that she had something on her mind.

"Hey Misty, are you okay? You look like you're thinking about something." Ash asked with concern.

"Oh uh, yeah, I was just wondering…" Misty began to trail off.

"Wondering what?" Ash asked.

"Well, I was wondering who you were going to face in Johto." Misty said knowing she lied to him.

"Oh, that's a good question. We'll worry about that later. Not right now, tonight's about the two of us." Ash said lovingly grabbing his girlfriend's hand.

Misty began to worry less and got more comfortable when Ash grabbed her hand. She even blushed a little bit while giving him a little smile.

"Thanks Ash." Misty said.

"Hey look, here come's Veronica." Ash said.

"Are you two ready to order yet?" Veronica asked the young couple.

"I am, can I have the filet mignon?" Ash asked.

"Absolutely, it's a popular selection here. And what can I get you mam?" Veronica asked Misty.

"I'll have the same thing I guess." Misty replied.

"Alright, two filet mignons coming right up." Veronica replied then walked to the kitchen.

As soon as Veronica walked away, Ash and Misty just stared into their eyes lovingly for most of the evening. But Misty did want to know why they were here.

"Hey Ash, I'm having a great time and all, but I was wondering why you brought me here. The fanciest and probably the most expensive restaurant in Viridian City." Misty said.

"Oh, I thought you already knew why we were here." Ash said.

"I'm sorry, but I really don't." Misty admitted.

"Wow, I'm a little surprised. I thought you would know what today was." Ash said.

"Today?" Misty asked wondering.

"Yeah, it's okay. Here just give me a second." Ash said as he was reaching into his pocket to pull out the rectangular box.

"I was going to wait until we were back at the hotel, but I guess now would be a good time. Happy one month anniversary Misty." Ash said while giving Misty the present.

Misty had a surprised look on her face. She forgot that it was one month since they started dating.

"_That's what it was, how could I have forget that." _Misty screamed at herself in her head.

She took a second to look at it before opening it.

"What's wrong Misty, aren't you gonna open it." Ash asked.

"Oh yeah, sorry." Misty apologized.

Misty opened the box. She was so surprised that she covered her mouth in order to not attract attention to herself. It was a platinum necklace with a water symbol made out of sapphire.

"So, do you like it?" Ash asked.

"Ash, it's beautiful. I love it." Misty said.

She then grabbed Ash's face and placed his lips on to hers. Then the kiss started to get more serious as she stuck her tongue down in his mouth and then the two tongues tangoed around for a good minute. Misty finally broke the kiss.

"Wow, I guess you did love it." Ash said.

"Thank you so much Ash. You know you didn't have to do that." Misty said.

"Actually I did. Were even now." Ash said.

"Even?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, you threw me that awesome surprise party. So it was only fair that I took you out and got you something nice." Ash replied.

Misty was so stunned to hear him say that.

"Now I owe you." Misty said.

"No you don't. Why don't you put it on?" Ash suggested.

Misty put on her new necklace.

"So, how do I look?" Misty asked.

"No words could describe how you look." Ash complimented.

Misty loved that answer as she pulled him in for another kiss on the lips, but just a peck instead of a make out.

"Just wondering, how much did it cost?" Misty asked.

"Let's just say a lot, but I still have plenty of money on my Pokedex credit card." Ash said while smirking.

"Look, dinner's here." Misty pointed out.

Veronica came over with the two plates of filet mignon.

"Here you go you two. Say, that's a beautiful necklace. When did you get it?" Veronica asked.

"Just a few minutes ago, I have such a great boyfriend." Misty told the waitress.

"What's the special occasion?" Veronica asked.

"It's our one month anniversary." Ash answered.

"Ah, that's really sweet of you." Veronica said. "Well, enjoy your food."

"Thank you very much." The couple said in unison.

Ash and Misty enjoyed their delicious dinner while reminiscing their days when they were younger. It was fair to say that they both enjoyed the date.

After Ash paid the bill, they walked out, Misty leaning on Ash as they walk.

"_Man, to be in love. She is very lucky to have a guy like that." _Veronica thought as she watched the young couple walk out of the room.

Ash and Misty were walking back to the hotel still in hand and hand.

When they made it to the hotel room, Misty gave Ash a barrage of kisses all over his face. Ash couldn't help but smile.

"Thanks Misty, but let's go to sleep. I'm full and tired." Ash said chuckling.

"Sorry Ash, I'll get changed in the bathroom." Misty said chuckling as well.

After they got changed, they went into the king sized bed with Misty basically suffocating Ash.

"Hey Misty, I know you enjoy the gift, but can you loosen up a bit?" Ash asked.

"Oh sorry, it's just that I'll never let you go. I'll always wear this necklace." Misty replied.

"Like I'll always wear mine with the picture of all us." Ash said holding up his picture necklace.

"I love you so much Ash." Misty said bringing him in for a passionate kiss.

"I love you so much too Mist. Let's go to sleep now." Ash said after they broke the kiss.

"Okay, good night sweetie." Misty said sweetly.

"Night sweetie." Ash replied sweetly.

Ash and Misty went to sleep at eleven thirty and both had a comfortable sleep.

Brock and Tracey both woke up at the same time at about around nine. They both went in silently to check on the young couple.

"It looks like they're still asleep. Let's let Pikachu wake them up." Brock whispered.

"Alright, let's get some breakfast then." Tracey whispered.

As Ash heard the word breakfast, his stomach began to growl and then he woke up. Even though he wanted to get up, Misty wouldn't let him.

"Come on Mist, let's get breakfast. We need to get to Pallet Town today." Ash whispered.

"Okay." Misty replied cheerfully.

Misty got up right away and walked right into the bathroom happily humming.

"_Man, she's in a really happy mood ever since I gave her that necklace." _Ash thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Misty was in the bathroom getting ready for the day. She was really cheerful today. She couldn't stop smiling ever since she got the necklace from Ash last night.

"_Man I'm so lucky to have Ash as a boyfriend. He really cares about me and loves me." _Misty thought happily as she brushed her teeth.

Misty finished in the bathroom and let Ash in to get ready.

"I'm gonna go ahead and get breakfast. I'll see ya down there." Misty told him happily.

"Okay Mist, I'll see ya down there." Ash said as he was getting ready.

Misty went down to find Brock and Tracey enjoying pancakes and bacon for breakfast.

"Hey Brock, hey Tracey!" Misty exclaimed.

"Hey Misty." Tracey replied.

"You seem to be awfully happy this morning." Brock said.

"Well, don't you see this beautiful necklace Ash gave me?" Misty asked showing it off towards Brock and Tracey.

"Wow, it is beautiful." Brock said.

"What was the occasion?" Tracey asked.

"It was our one month anniversary!" Misty exclaimed.

"Wow one month, it seems like years." Brock said.

"It definitely does Brocko." Ash said walking in the cafeteria.

"Hey you." Misty said seductively.

"Hey you." Ash replied in the same tone.

"Please don't kiss in front of us." Brock begged.

"Yeah, and we need to get to Pallet Town today." Tracey said.

"Fine, okay." Misty said.

The four and Pikachu quickly ate their breakfast and left the hotel and began their walk to Pallet Town. They made it there by three in the afternoon.

"Hey, we finally made it!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pi Pikachu!" (Yes finally!) Pikachu exclaimed alongside his master.

"I love how excited you get when you go home." Misty said.

"It's like a fresh start. I get reenergized every time I come home." Ash explained.

"Let's not waste any time." Tracey said.

"Where should we go first, Ash's mom's house or Professor Oak's lab?" Brock asked.

"How about my mom's house." Ash suggested.

Everyone agreed on that. They walked into the small, quiet town and made it to the Ketchum household. Ash and the gang went into the house.

"Hello mom, I'm home!" Ash shouted.

"I'm in the kitchen dear." Delia said.

Ash and friends walked into the kitchen to see Delia hard at work.

"Hey mom, what are you doing?" Ash asked.

"I'm making food to go up to Professor Oaks. Hey Misty, Brock, and Tracey." Delia greeted Ash's friends and girlfriend.

"Hey Mrs. Ketchum." The trio replied in unison.

"Whoa Misty, where did you get that necklace, I absolutely love it!" Delia exclaimed.

"Well, your son gave it to me yesterday for our one month anniversary." Misty replied.

"Aw Ash, I raised you so right." Delia bragged.

"Yeah, yeah, when are you gonna be done? I wanna go to Professor Oak's lab and see all my Pokemon." Ash said.

"Soon dear, why don't you make yourselves at home?" Delia suggested.

"I have an idea, you wanna come with me Misty?" Ash asked his girlfriend.

"What are we doing?" Misty asked.

"We're just going to the videophone and call May, Dawn, Cilan, and Iris." Ash replied.

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea dear." Delia said.

As Delia continued her work in the kitchen, Ash and the gang went to the videophone and called their friends.

"Who should we call first?" Ash asked.

"How about May, I like her most out of the girls." Misty suggested.

"Really, I thought you liked all of them the same?" Ash asked.

"I'll tell you about that later." Misty said.

Ash put in the number for May's house, but May didn't answer.

"Hello?" Max answered.

"Hey Max, how's it going?" Ash asked.

"It's going great; I'm going to enter the tournament with my sister." Max said.

"We were wondering if you would enter. Did you beat the Hoenn region?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, but it definitely wasn't easy. I faced Wallace and Watson for the gym leaders. As for the elite four, I faced Glacia." Max answered.

"Wow that sounds really tough." Tracey said.

"It definitely was." Max said.

"Do you know where May is?" Misty asked.

"Hold on, I'll get her." Max said to the group. "May, Ash and everyone else is on the phone." He shouted to May.

May showed up in view of everyone.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" May asked.

"It's going great here. I beat the Kanto region!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's awesome, I beat the Hoenn region." May said.

"Did you face the same gym leaders and elite four member as Max did?" Brock asked.

"Nope, I faced Roxie and Winona. Then I faced Sidney of the elite four." May replied.

"That must have been tough." Tracey said.

"Yeah it definitely was." May replied.

"Where are you going next?" Misty asked.

"I was thinking about going to Sinnoh next, how about you?" May asked.

"We were thinking about Johto. That stinks that we won't meet up." Ash said.

"That's okay; we can wait a little bit." May said.

"We gotta get going. We'll talk to you later." Ash said.

"Okay, talk to you later." May said as the phone screen went black.

"Who are you gonna call next?" Misty asked.

"I was thinking Dawn." Ash answered.

"I'll be in the living room. I don't like Dawn and I'll tell you about it later." Misty said while getting up and walking away.

"That was weird." Ash said.

"We'll find out about it later. Let's call Dawn." Brock said.

Ash began dialing the number for Dawn's house, like what happened, Dawn didn't answer.

"Hello?" Johanna answered.

"Hey Johanna, its Ash, is Dawn around?" Ash asked.

"I'm sorry, but I think she's in the Pokemon Center." Johanna answered.

"Okay, we'll call there." Ash said.

Ash dialed the number of the Pokemon Center closest to Dawn's home town.

"Hey Ash, Brock, and Tracey." Dawn said approaching her videophone.

"Hey Dawn, did you beat the Sinnoh?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I just got back from the elite four." Dawn answered.

"Who did you face?" Brock asked.

"I faced the bug guy Aaron. I barely won, and guess what?" Dawn said.

"What happened?" Tracey asked.

"Piplup evolved into Prinplup!" Dawn exclaimed.

"That's awesome, but I thought Piplup didn't wanna evolve." Ash said.

"I guess it did after all. How about you Ash, did you beat Kanto?" She asked.

"I did, it was a real challenge." Ash answered.

"Where's Misty?" Dawn asked.

"She's in the bathroom." Brock answered.

"Oh, I was hoping to talk to her, but oh well." Dawn shrugged.

"Hey is that Paul?" Ash interrupted.

XXX

Dawn looked behind her and it was the purple haired trainer.

"Yeah, it is Paul." She whispered to the group.

Paul looked over to see that Dawn was talking to Ash. Paul decided to walk over and interrupt their conversation.

"Hey, watch it." Dawn said as Paul rudely took over the screen.

"Hey Paul, it doesn't look like you've changed at all." Ash said angrily.

"Did you beat Kanto?" Paul asked getting straight to the point.

"Yes I did, now leave, I was talking to Dawn." Ash shouted.

"I bet you didn't and your just lying to me." Paul said.

"What did you say?!" Ash shouted.

"You heard me, I easily swept Sinnoh and now I'm going to see how tough Kanto is." Paul said.

"I doubt that." Ash said.

"Whatever, I'm wasting my time with you. I'm outta here." Paul said finally leaving.

XXX

"Finally he left." Brock said in relief.

"What a jerk." Dawn said.

"Who was that?" Tracey asked.

"That was Paul, my rival in Sinnoh. I hate that guy." Ash said.

"So to change the subject, where are you going next?" Brock. asked.

"I think where you are. How about you?" Dawn asked.

"We're going to Johto." Brock answered.

"Oh, okay, that's cool." Dawn said disappointingly.

"I gotta go, I'll see you later." Ash said.

"See ya Ash." Dawn said as the screen went black.

"Alright Ash, I'm finished, let's get going!" Delia exclaimed.

"Okay mom." Ash responded.

"I guess you're going to call Cilan and Iris later." Brock said.

"I guess so." Ash said.

Ash, Misty, Brock, Delia, Tracey, and Pikachu left the house to walk to the Professor's lab. On their way in, they're surprised to see who was there as well.

"Hey, it's Gary!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hey Gary." Everyone else said.

"Hey there everyone, Ashy Boy." Gary responded.

"Did you beat Kanto yet?" Ash asked.

"Of course I did." Gary replied cockily.

"Oh yeah, so how about a quick battle?" Ash asked.

"Sure why not, how about a double battle?" Gary suggested.

"Sure, I'm okay with that." Ash said.

Everyone soon went out back and got ready for the battle. All of Ash's Pokemon were here and wanted to be a part of it.

"I'll be the ref, this will be a double battle. Once both Pokemon on one side are defeated, the challenger loses. Let the battle begin." Brock said.

"Go Magmortar and Nidoking!" Gary said.

"Alright, Go Squirtle and Oshawott!" Ash said.

Squirtle came out of its Pokeball and Oshawott jumped onto the battlefield and both got into battle position.

"Squirtle and Oshawott, use Hydro Pump!" Ash ordered.

"Nidoking, get in front of Magmortar and use Protect." Gary said.

Nidoking jumped in front of Magmortar and protected the both of them with a green shield, which made the hydro pumps just deflect right of the shield.

"Alright Magmortar use Fire Blast and Nidoking use Thunderbolt." Gary said.

As the attacks got closer, Ash knew exactly what to do.

"Squirtle, get next to Oshawott. Oshawott, use your counter shield." Ash ordered.

Squirtle jumped next to Oshawott and then Oshawott started spinning on its side and using hydro pump as a counter shield. The hydro pump protected both Oshawott and Squirtle and attacked both Nidoking and Magmortar at the same time.

"Nice job Oshawott. I knew you having working with Buizel was a great job." Ash complimented.

"Huh, not bad Ash, Nidoking protect and Magmortar earthquake." Gary said.

Nidoking protected itself as Magmortar unleashed it's earthquake attack, which hit Squirtle and Oshawott directly.

"Come on guys, you gotta get up!" Ash encouraged.

They slowly got up and all of the sudden they both started glowing white.

"They're evolving!" Ash said stunned.

They completed their evolutions and now stand as a Wartortle and Dewott.

"Wow, not bad Ash." Gary said.

"Dewott, use razor shell on Magmortar and Wartortle use skull bash on Nidoking!" Ash ordered.

Ash's new Dewott was a lot faster and hit Magmortar right away and Wartortle hit Nidoking with a powerful skull bash, causing both of Gary's Pokemon to faint.

"Both Magmortar and Nidoking are unable to battle, Wartortle and Dewott are the winner." Brock said.

"Nice job guys, I'm really proud of you two." Ash said.

"Good job Ash." Misty said.

"Not bad, Ashy boy. Next time we face, I won't go so easy on you." Gary said confidently.

"Are you sure you were going easy on me? Cause if you did, you got worse." Ash said jokingly.

"Watch it Ashy." Gary warned.

"Relax Gary." Misty said.

After the battle, they had a good rest of the day. They all went to sleep early and woke up early. Ash stopped at Professor Oaks to decide who he was going to bring with him.

"Obviously I'm gonna bring Pikachu. Hm, I think I want Eevee, Charizard, Bulbasaur, Wartortle, Muk, Tauros, and Snivy." Ash said.

"Good team Ash, I know you wanna bring Gabite, but I still need to finish my studies with him." Oak said.

"Alright, let's get going." Ash said.

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey all left the lab and walked out of Pallet Town to go to Johto.

There's chapter 14! Ash got some Pokemon to evolve and had a nice date with Misty. It seems like they're relationship is getting stronger and stronger, but why does she only like May and not Dawn? You'll see later. Until then, cya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated.


	16. Chapter 15- First Badge Johto Style

I really don't have anything to say, except thank you for the support for this story. My goal is to get it on the level of A New Journey by Texas Longhorn, The Master's Journey by Mr. M. Mars, and AAML: Diamond and Pearl Version by Echidna Power. I recommend all of these stories. You should also check out my other favorite stories and give them a read. They're all fantastic. So without further ado, here's chapter 15.

Chapter 15- First Badge Johto Style

It had only been an hour since the group left Pallet Town, but for them it felt like days. It seems like they've been seeing the same tree for multiple times that day.

"Ash, we're lost again and it's your entire fault. Why did I trust you when you said that your navigation skills have improved over the years?!" Misty exclaimed.

"I don't know Mist, I don't know." Ash responded.

"I'm really surprised that your navigation skills haven't improved and you've been traveling the most out of all of us." Tracey said.

"Yeah, well uh…" Ash said trying to come up with an excuse.

"Yeah, he didn't need to because he either had me or Cilan doing all the navigation. Is that what you were going to say?" Brock said.

"I get it, I suck at navigating. Come on Brock, lead us outta here please." Ash begged.

"It's déjà vu all over again." Misty said.

"What, you guys got lost here again?" Tracey asked.

"I guess we did and the same person got us lost." Misty said angrily causing Ash to get nervous.

"Hey you guys; don't worry. I found New Bark Town!" Brock shouted.

Misty stopped yelling at Ash and the group to see that what Brock said was true.

"Finally." Misty sighed relieved.

"Hey guys, check out the sign." Tracey pointed out.

"Yeah, I remember this sign." Ash said.

It was the same arrow pointing sign with its famous saying.

"_New Bark Town: This way to the town where the winds of new beginnings blow." _

"Hey, I have an idea." Misty said.

"What is it?" Tracey said.

"How about we go visit Professor Elm." Misty suggested.

"I like that idea. It'll be good to see how he's doing." Brock said.

"Alright then, to Professor Elm's lab we go!" Ash exclaimed.

"_He hasn't changed." _Misty thought then giggled.

The gang walked down the hill of where they were standing and made their way towards Professor Elm's lab. When they made it to the lab, they were surprised to see what was going on.

"Stand back, no one is allowed inside the lab!" Officer Jenny shouted at the crowd of people.

The crowd of people backed off. There was yellow tape surrounding the entrance of the Pokemon lab in the town. Being the type of people Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey were, they just had to find out what was going on and see if they could do anything to help.

"Hey Officer Jenny, what's going on here?" Ash asked.

"There has been a robbery of the three starter Pokemon." Jenny answered.

"Oh no, who would do such a thing?" Misty asked worried about the Pokemon.

"I don't know, but whoever did, they're going to pay for it big time when I get my hands on them." Jenny said.

"Please, let us help you." Brock said.

"Yeah, we can be of great assistance." Tracey added.

"I'm sorry, but this is too dangerous." Jenny said.

An upset Professor Elm had heard the voices that she was talking too. As soon he saw who they were, his faced glowed with hope and admiration.

"Hey it's Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey!" Elm exclaimed.

"Hey Professor." The four young adults said.

"Please Officer Jenny, you have to let these people help you. They are great guys and the very best I've ever seen in their respective fields." Elm explained to Jenny.

"Wait a second, Ash Ketchum, Misty Waterflower, Brock Harrison, and Tracey Sketchit?" Jenny asked in complete shock.

"Yes mam." The four answered.

"Please forgive me, I would love for your help!" Jenny begged.

"Of course, we'd love to help. Do you know anything about the thieves?" Ash asked.

"No not really, they were really stealthy and didn't leave much behind." Jenny answered disappointingly.

"What about security cameras?" Brock asked hoping they would give an answer.

"They were able to disable the cameras." Jenny answered disappointingly.

"When did this happen?" Misty asked.

"This morning." Jenny answered.

"Then they shouldn't have able to get that far. Maybe we can get our flying Pokemon to search the area." Tracey suggested.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. Go Charizard!" Ash exclaimed.

"Go Fearow!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Okay, we need you guys to search the area for anything suspicious." Jenny told the two Pokemon.

They nodded and took flight heading towards out of town.

"I hope they'll be able to find something." Elm said nervously.

"Don't worry; you'll have the Pokemon back in no time." Ash reassured him.

Fearow and Charizard flew all over the town hoping to find something, but unfortunately they couldn't find anything in the town. So once they saw each other, they communicated to each other and told them to look outside the city. They both went together and they went towards where the gang entered the town. They searched that whole forest area and they found who it was. They stayed hidden to see what they were saying.

XXX

"Wow that was really easy." Butch said.

"Like taking candy from a baby." Cassidy said.

Team Rocket's Cassidy and Butch were the ones who stole the Pokemon from Elm's lab plus other Pokemon. This was enough for Charizard and Fearow as they quietly flew away and went back to the group.

XXX

"Hey look, it's Charizard and Fearow!" Misty exclaimed pointing.

The two flying Pokemon were flying as quick as they could to get to the group of people.

"Did you guys find anything?" Jenny asked.

They responded with a yes and to follow them.

"Alright, let's get into a police vehicle and follow them." Jenny ordered.

Jenny and Elm got into one police car while Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey went into another car and the first car followed Charizard and Fearow to where the enemy was.

XXX

"Sir, we got all of the Pokemon." Cassidy said in the radio.

"Good, I expect them to be delivered today." The man replied.

"You got it boss." Butch replied.

They cut off from the radio connections and they continued to make their escape. All of the sudden two police cars cut them off. They tried to go the other way and were stopped by a Fearow and a Charizard.

"What's going on here?" Cassidy yelled.

Everyone stepped out of the car.

"You two are being placed under arrest for theft of Pokemon." Jenny yelled.

Everyone was looking at the cage the Pokemon were in. There was a Cyndaquil, Totodile, Chikorita, and a pack of Pikachu. When they were looking, Butch and Cassidy began their motto.

Cassidy: Prepare for trouble

Butch: And make it double

Cassidy: To infect the world with devastation

Butch: To Blight all peoples in every nation

Cassidy: To denounce the goodness of truth and love

Butch: To extend our wrath to the stars above

Cassidy: Cassidy

Butch: Butch

Cassidy: Team rocket circling the earth both day and night

Butch: Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight

Raticate: Raticate!

"Aw man, its Cassidy and Biff!" Ash exclaimed.

"The name's not Biff, its Butch! You know this you twerps!" Butch yelled at them.

"Whatever, it still doesn't give you the right to steal Pokemon!" Misty exclaimed.

"That's what you say kid, but we're still gonna get away with it." Cassidy said.

"Oh yeah, we won't let you. Snivy, I choose you!" Ash shouted as Snivy came out of her Pokeball and took a battle stance.

"Misty calls Gyarados!" Misty shouted as the Atrocious Pokemon came out of its Pokeball and roared as it was ready for battle.

"Ha, this'll be easy, go Mightyena!" Butch shouted.

"Go Houndour!" Cassidy shouted.

The two Pokemon were standing in front of the cage ready for battle.

"You're going to regret messing with us, Mightyena use shadow ball!" Butch exclaimed.

"Houndour use flamethrower!" Cassidy exclaimed.

"Gyarados, counter her flamethrower by using hydro pump!" Misty exclaimed.

"Snivy, use vine whip to deflect shadow ball!"

Gyarados's hydro pump went straight through flamethrower and hit Houndour into the cage, which damaged it. Snivy used her vine whip to counter shadow ball to hit Mightyena, who also hit the cage. After Mightyena hit the cage, the cage broke free and the Pokemon who were trapped, now were able to escape and ran towards the group of people battling Team Rocket.

"What, no, they're escaping!" Cassidy screeched.

"That's right; we told you that we wouldn't let you steal them." Elm said.

"This isn't over yet!" Butch screamed.

"Yes it is, Misty, would you like the honor of blasting them off?" Ash offered.

"Thanks sweetie, Gyarados, blast them off with hyper beam!" Misty shouted.

"Wait, sweetie?" Cassidy said before the hyper beam hit them.

After the hyper beam hit them, there was a gigantic explosion and Butch and Cassidy were blasting off again.

"Is anybody hurt?" Jenny asked.

"No, I think everyone's fine." Brock said.

"That's a relief. Snivy and Charizard, return." Ash said as he called back his Pokemon.

"Great job Gyarados, return." Misty said.

"Return Fearow." Tracey said.

"Hey, where's Pikachu?" Tracey asked.

As they turned around, they found Pikachu talking to the Pokemon that were in the cage to see if they were okay.

"It looks like he's seeing if everyone's alright." Elm guessed.

"I would like to thank you for all your help." Jenny said.

"No problem, anytime." Brock said.

Ash and Misty were talking to the Pikachu, wanting to make sure that they were okay.

"That's great; you guys can go back where you came from." Misty said.

Most of the Pikachu listened to what she said, except for one. This one particular female Pikachu became really attracted and attached to Ash's Pikachu. It also took a liking to Misty and the humans. Soon the two Pikachu started talking.

"I wonder what they're saying." Tracey wondered while observing the conversation.

"It looks like the female Pikachu wants Misty to be its trainer." Elm concluded.

"Really, you want me to be your trainer?" Misty asked the female Pikachu.

She replied yes.

"Okay then, Pokeball go!" Misty exclaimed while tossing the Pokeball.

The ball then hit the female Pikachu and then sucked it into the Pokeball. It shook for only a second and then it stopped right away. Misty then picked it up and then did Ash's capture celebration.

"Alright, I caught a Pikachu!" Misty exclaimed while doing Ash's celebration.

"Nice job Misty, you did my celebration perfectly." Ash complimented.

Misty giggled at his compliment. She then released Pikachu from the Pokeball.

"Hey, do you mind if I call you Elektra?" Misty asked.

"Pika chu!" (No problem!) Elektra exclaimed then jumped on Misty's shoulder.

"Hey, let's get back to the lab." Brock said.

Everyone went into the two police cars and they drove back to the lab. Before they left, the group received much praise.

"Thank you all again for all your help." Professor Elm praised.

"Yes, we really are grateful for having you great people come at the right time." Jenny praised.

"It's no problem at all." Ash said.

"We would've done something even if you told us we couldn't." Misty joked.

Everyone got a laugh from that. After receiving more praise, they began to head out of New Bark Town. Now the only thing on Ash's mind was getting two badges from Johto.

"Hey Ash, now you can answer my question." Misty said.

"What question?" Ash asked.

"Who are you planning to get badges from in this region?" Misty asked.

"Oh yeah, I was thinking Faulkner in Violet City and then Pryce from Mahogany Town." Ash answered.

"Certainly interesting choices, who are you going to use in this battle?" Tracey asked.

"Well, obviously Pikachu," Ash said then pet his Pikachu. "Then I'll use Charizard, he needs to get some training in, and I don't know who I'm going to use as my third Pokemon."

"Who else do you have with you?" Brock asked.

"Well I have Eevee, Bulbasaur, Wartortle, Muk, Tauros, and Snivy." Ash answered.

"Bulbasaur and Snivy are out of the question. How about Tauros?" Brock suggested.

"I don't know, I don't he would do well at this gym." Ash said.

"How about Muk, you haven't trained him in a long time." Tracey suggested.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea." Ash said.

"How about getting one of your flying Pokemon like your Pidgeot or Staraptor?" Misty suggested.

"I don't know, Mist. They both had a chance to fight. I wanna give everyone a chance to battle." Ash said.

"It's just I don't know if Muk would do well against a flying Pokemon." Misty defended.

"Misty does have a point Ash. Maybe you should give Pidgeot a chance to win a battle." Brock supported Misty.

"I guess you're right. I'll get Pidgeot when we get to the Pokemon Center." Ash said finally giving in.

When they reached Cherrygrove City, it was nightfall. They all agreed to stay in the Pokemon Center for the night and that's when Ash got Pidgeot from Professor Oak. After that, they all went to sleep at ten pm.

They were lucky and didn't run into any other situations the next day and made it to Violet City in the early afternoon. Before the battle, Ash brought out Pikachu, Charizard, and his Pidgeot for a quick pep talk.

"Let's go guys; I know we can win this battle!" Ash told his three Pokemon.

His Pokemon responded with the same enthusiasm. Now the group went up to the gym and go to the top. As they walked outside, Faulkner greeted them.

"Hey Ash, I assume you're here to challenge me to a gym battle." Faulkner said.

"Yep, and I'm here to win it like I did my first time." Ash said confidently.

"We'll see, let's get to the battle then." Faulkner said.

The two took to the battle field as they stared each other down.

"This is a battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Faulkner the Violet City Gym Leader. This will be a three on three battle. First one to lose all three Pokemon will lose the battle. The battle will begin when both trainers are ready." The referee said.

"Go Noctowl!" Faulkner said.

"It looks like his Hoothoot evolved. Be careful Ash, it looks really tough." Brock shouted from the sidelines.

"Alright, Pidgeot, I choose you!" Ash shouted.

"So this is the Pidgeot you were talking about all those years ago." Faulkner said.

"Yup and he's really strong, now Pidgeot use steel wing!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeot's wings turned to steel and hit Noctowl directly.

"Come on Noctowl, use psychic!" Faulkner ordered.

"Pidgeot use agility!" Ash commanded.

Noctowl was focusing all of its energy to try to get Pidgeot but it kept dodging the attacks.

"Great job Pidgeot, now use quick attack!" Ash said.

Pidgeot took off after Noctowl and hit it directly.

"Not bad Ash, Noctowl, use psychic again!" Faulkner commanded.

Unlike the first time, Noctowl actually got control of Pidgeot and threw it towards the ground.

"No Pidgeot!" Ash exclaimed worried.

"Great Noctowl, finish it off with tackle!" Faulkner shouted.

"No you don't; Pidgeot use agility!" Ash shouted.

As Noctowl was about to make contact, Pidgeot dodged the attack and ended up behind it.

"Great job, finish this battle with Brave Bird!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeot gained speed and then became surrounded by red fire. Then seconds later, it expanded its wings and the red fire turned blue. As soon as Pidgeot made contact with Noctowl, there was a huge explosion in the middle of the sky. Pidgeot came out of the explosion okay, but suffering from recoil damage while Noctowl lied on the ground fainted.

"Noctowl is unable to battle, Pidgeot wins!" The referee announced.

"Great job Ash!" The crowd announced.

"Great job Pidgeot." Ash said.

"Noctowl return, great job, you deserve a rest. Not bad Ash, Go Pidgeot!" Faulkner announced.

"Ash, you may wanna call back your Pidgeot. He maybe too tired to battle." Misty suggested.

Ash acknowledged her advice.

"Do you think you can continue to battle?" Ash asked his bird Pokemon.

"Pidgeot!" (Yes!) The bird Pokemon exclaimed.

"Alright, let's go Pidgeot wing attack!" Ash ordered.

"Counter with your wing attack!" Faulkner ordered.

The two Pidgeots unleashed their powerful wing attacks that met in the middle of the sky.

Meanwhile, Tracey, Brock, and Misty were watching the battle from the sidelines watching this air battle.

"Wow, they're evenly matched." Tracey analyzed.

"They are both powerful." Brock said.

"I'm surprised if Pidgeot's doing this well against Faulkner's Pidgeot than why did it faint against Bruno's Hitmonchan?" Misty asked.

"Well Misty, it is one of the elite four you're talking about." Brock answered.

"That is true." Misty said.

"Pidgeot, use quick attack!" Faulkner ordered.

"Use steel wing!" Ash ordered.

As Faulkner's Pidgeot was closing in, Ash's Pidgeot's wings turned to steel and hit the other Pidgeot, causing it to wince in pain.

"Nice job Pidgeot, use your quick attack!" Ash said.

Pidgeot mustard all of its remaining strength and dashed towards and past its opponent. After the crucial hit, both Pidgeots were weak and barely flying.

"We gotta finish this battle now, use brave bird!" Faulkner ordered.

"Alright, use your brave bird as well!" Ash ordered.

Both birds flew towards each other surrounded by blue fire and crashed into each other with all their might. After the collision, both birds collapsed to the ground fainted.

"Both Pidgeots are unable to battle. This match is a draw!" The referee announced.

"Pidgeot return, you did a great job." Faulkner and Ash said.

"I'm impressed, you've certainly gotten better, you won't be able to beat my last Pokemon, go Braviary!" Faulkner exclaimed.

"I've never seen that Pokemon before." Misty said from the sidelines.

Ash pulled out his Pokedex to see what it would say about it.

"_Braviary, the Valiant Pokemon and the evolved form of Rufflet. They fight for their friends without any thought about danger to themselves. One can carry a car while flying." _Ash's Pokedex read.

"_Sounds a lot like Ash, well except the second part." _Misty thought to herself then giggled out loud.

"Go Charizard!" Ash shouted.

Charizard came out of his Pokeball with a vicious roar, indicating that it was ready for battle.

"Charizard vs. Braviary let the match begin!" The referee announced.

"Alright Braviary, use aerial ace!" Faulkner ordered.

"Charizard use flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

Braviary was charging at Charizard with its aerial ace, but Charizard hit it dead on with its flamethrower, stopping Braviary dead in its tracks.

"Darn it, Braviary, use brave bird!" Faulkner ordered.

"Ash, don't let that brave bird hit Charizard otherwise Charizard's done for!" Tracey shouted.

"Wait, why though?" Misty asked.

"Braviary may not be as fast as any other flying type, but it has the most power in its attacks." Brock answered for Tracey.

"Charizard, you gotta get out of the way!" Ash said.

Charizard moved more upwards towards the sky, but not in time to completely avoid the attack. Charizard got hit in his stomach so hard that he landed straight onto his back.

"Charizard, are you okay?!" Ash exclaimed worried about his friend.

Charizard was struggling to get up, but eventually it did.

"Nice job Charizard, use dragon rage!" Ash ordered.

"Get in there and use slash!" Faulkner ordered.

As Charizard was charging up his dragon rage, Braviary was getting closer and closer. But luckily for Ash, Charizard was able to unleash dragon rage and hit Braviary directly before it could use slash. Braviary was standing on the ground breathing heavily as the same went for Charizard. They both grinned at each other. And then, Braviary collapsed and fainted.

"Braviary is unable to battle, Charizard wins, which means the winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." The referee announced.

"Alright Charizard, we did it!" Ash cheered.

Charizard celebrated by shooting flamethrowers into the air, even though it was still weak.

"Return Braviary, you gave it all you got, and for that, I'm proud of you." Faulkner said to the Pokeball.

Meanwhile, the trio and Pikachu went up to Ash to congratulate him while he was putting Charizard in his Pokeball.

"Great win Ash!" Brock and Tracey said.

"Nice job sweetie!" Misty said while giving him a hug.

"Thanks Mist." Ash said.

"Ash, congratulations on your win today, here is proof of your victory, the Zephyr Badge." Faulkner said.

"Thanks Faulkner, for the badge and the great battle." Ash said to Faulkner.

"Alright, I got, the Zephyr Badge!" Ash exclaimed while doing his famous celebration pose.

"What do you wanna do for the rest of the day, Ash?" Misty asked.

"How about we get something to eat?" Ash suggested.

"That's a pretty good idea. I'm getting hungry." Brock said.

"Alright, let's go get something to eat!" Ash exclaimed while running towards the elevator.

"Wait for us Ash!" Tracey yelled while him and Brock were sprinting after him.

"Where does he get all that energy from?" Faulkner asked.

"I've known him for eight years and I still don't know." Misty replied.

The two laughed then Misty sprinted towards everyone else trying to catch up.

There's chapter 15! The gang stopped Cassidy and Butch from stealing Pokemon, Misty caught a new Pikachu, and Ash won his first badge in Johto. Now is where writers block is starting to come in. I don't know what to write about for the next chapter, so this might take some time. My brain is starting to fry on me because it's getting exhausting writing all these chapters. I'm not saying I'm not having fun writing them, it's just it's so tiring. I don't know when I'll post chapter 16, but hopefully soon. Maybe those of you who are reading could leave me some ideas. That might help. Until then, see ya! Rates, reviews, and suggestions are appreciated.


	17. Chapter 16- Training Day

Hey, how's everyone doing? I hope your all good because I am. I hope you enjoyed my quick little one shot called Signs. I hope you do; it's a good read. These next few chapters will be quite interesting to say without spoiling anything. So without further ado, here's chapter 16.

Chapter 16- Training Day

After Ash defeated Faulkner, he was trying to find a place to eat for lunch; while Misty, Brock, and Tracey were trying to catch up with him.

"Slow down Ash!" Misty shouted.

Unfortunately, her words fell upon deaf ears as he kept going.

"Ash, there aren't any restaurants in this town!" Brock shouted.

All of the sudden, Ash completely stopped and turned around to face the three that were chasing him.

"Are you serious? You mean to tell me that there's not even one restaurant in this entire town?!" Ash asked.

"Yep, so how about we get out of here and I'll make us lunch this time. I haven't made anything for a while." Brock said.

"Alright, I guess that's a good idea." Ash admitted.

"How about we go to the Pokemon Center first and heal everyone?" Tracey suggested.

"Yeah, I kinda forgot about them since I'm starving." Ash admitted as his stomach roared agreeing with him.

"Ash's stomach used roar; it's super effective!" Misty joked.

Brock and Tracey were dying at Misty's joke. Misty was laughing at her own joke. Even Ash began to laugh at it.

After everyone calmed down after Misty's hilarious joke, they headed into the Pokemon Center to get Pidgeot and Charizard checked out. After he handed them to Nurse Joy, he joined his friends.

"Hey Ash, hey Pikachu." His friends greeted.

"Hey guys." Ash greeted back.

"Pika chu." (Hey guys.) Pikachu greeted back.

"Are Pidgeot and Charizard going to be okay?" Misty asked worried.

"Yeah, they just need some treatment and some time to recover." Ash answered reassuring her.

"Oh okay, that's good." Misty said.

"Hey Ash, are you going to do some training with your Pokemon?" Tracey asked.

"Of course I am; why wouldn't I?" Ash asked.

"Well, what I mean is, you have a lot of Pokemon that need training like Eevee, Totodile, and Bulbasaur to just name a few." Tracey said.

"That is true; I never had a chance to train Eevee yet." Ash said.

"Yeah, and some of your other Pokemon are beginning to get jealous because you're not training them." Tracey said.

"Really, like who?" Ash asked.

"Bayleef, Buizel, Heracross, Snorlax, and everyone else who haven't been in battle in a long time." Tracey said.

"Wow, then I need to start training everyone else then. Today will solely be on training everyone else!" Ash declared.

"That's a good idea Ash, and I'll help you." Misty said.

"Same here." Brock said.

"I'd love to help you as well." Tracey said.

"Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!" Ash said.

"I'd do anything for you Ash." Misty flirted.

Ash began to turn red.

"Come on Misty, stop trying to flirt with Ash." Brock begged.

"Oh alright, we can do that all we want on our next date." Misty winked at Ash.

"_Sweet, man I love her so much." _Ash thought. "Alright, let me call Professor Oak and get some of them."

"Alright, try not to take too long. While you're doing that, I'll start making lunch outside." Brock said.

"I'll come with you Ash. I wanna see how Professor Oak is." Tracey said.

"And I'll help Brock with lunch then. I'll see ya guys soon." Misty said.

"Okay, that sounds good." Ash said.

Ash and Tracey went to the videophones in the Pokemon Center to call Professor Oak.

"Hello Ash, hello Tracey, how's the journey coming along?" Oak asked.

"It's going good; I actually called you to check on my Pokemon." Ash said.

"Check on them, what do you mean?" Oak asked.

"Well, I kinda told him that some of the Pokemon were beginning to get jealous that they weren't with him and not battling." Tracey answered for Ash.

"I see, some of them are acting strange. That's a pretty good reason why. You should take some of them Ash." Oak suggested.

"I gotta figure out whom though." Ash said.

"Ash Ketchum, your Pidgeot and Charizard are fully recovered." Joy announced.

"I'll get them for you Ash, keep talking to Professor Oak." Tracey offered.

"Thanks Trace." Ash said. "I'm having a training day today, so I'm thinking of taking some of them and train them for some time."

"That's a great idea Ash. Who do you want to take with you?" Oak asked.

"I was thinking Eevee, Totodile, Sceptile, Bayleef, Buizel, Corphish, and Torkoal. I'm going to keep Bulbasaur, Snivy, and Pikachu." Ash decided.

"Here you go Ash, here are Charizard and Pidgeot." Tracey interrupted.

"Thanks Tracey; they're going straight to Professor Oaks along with almost everyone else." Ash told him.

"That's a good idea Ash; just put them in the transfer machine and I'll get the Pokemon you want." Oak said.

"Okay, thanks again Professor." Ash thanked him.

XXX

While Ash and Tracey were inside, Brock and Misty were outside getting lunch ready. Misty was confused of what got into Brock in the Pokemon Center.

"Hey Brock, are you okay?" Misty asked sincerely.

"Yeah, I'm okay, why do you ask?" Brock answered sincerely.

"Well, it was what you did in the Pokemon Center. You where begging Ash and I to stop flirting with each other." Misty said.

"Don't I tell you that all the time?" Brock asked.

"Well yeah you do, but not like that. Can I ask you something and do you promise to not get mad?" Misty asked concerned.

"Uh, yeah sure, what is it?" Brock asked.

"Are you jealous of Ash and I?" Misty asked concerned hoping he wasn't going to get mad.

"Well honestly, a little bit. There was one woman who Ash and I met when he was challenging the Frontier in Kanto." Brock admitted.

"Oh, who was she?" Misty asked.

"Her name was Lucy and she was one of the Frontier Brains. Her nickname was the Pike Queen." Brock said reminiscing over his crush.

"_He's starting to act like old self. This girl must like him too. I should try to set him up with her." _Misty thought. "I'm sorry Brock."

"It's fine Misty; go get Ash and Tracey and tell them that lunch is ready." Brock said.

"Alright, I'm gonna get them." Misty said.

Misty left Brock to go get Ash and Tracey, hoping Brock won't get too sad.

XXX

"Here you go Ash; good luck to you." Professor Oak said.

"Thank you Professor; I'll call you soon." Ash said.

"Looking forward to it." Professor Oak said.

As the screen went black, Ash turned around with his new team of Pokemon to leave the Pokemon Center.

Misty walked in to see Ash and Tracey ready to leave. So she approached them before they could go outside.

"Hey Ash and Tracey, lunch is ready." Misty said.

"Great, I'm starving!" Ash exclaimed.

"When aren't you; go ahead outside Tracey, I gotta talk to Ash for a minute." Misty said.

"Uh, okay." Tracey said then left to get lunch.

"What's up Misty?" Ash asked.

"Brock said he's a little jealous." Misty asked.

"Why is he jealous? Did we do something Mist?" Ash asked her.

"I think our flirting is getting to him a little bit. Then he started to talk about Lucy the Pike Queen. He said that you battled her during your Battle Frontier journey." Misty answered.

"Oh yeah, I remember her. She blushed every time Brock complimented her. At one point, he began cheering for her." Ash chuckled.

Misty chuckled, but then got serious again.

"I think we should try to get those two together." Misty suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll stop over there before we go to Hoenn. It'll be a nice surprise for him." Ash said.

"I knew you would agree with me. That's one of the reasons I love you." Misty said.

Ash didn't say anything when he pulled her in for a quick, passionate kiss.

"Let's go and eat some lunch now. I'm really hungry." Ash said after pulling out.

"I knew you would say that." Misty joked.

The couple left the Pokemon center to join Brock and Tracey for lunch.

"This lunch smells really good." Ash said.

"It's my famous beef stew." Brock said.

"Awesome, this is one of my favorites!" Ash exclaimed.

"Everything is your favorite, Ash." Misty joked.

Everyone laughed and continued with their lunch.

XXX

After lunch, they decided to travel to Azalea Town.

"Hey Ash, when do you wanna stop and train?" Misty asked.

"How about now." Ash asked.

"I don't see why not." Brock said.

"I've been dying to do some good training. Come on out everyone!" Ash shouted.

Sceptile, Bulbasaur, Snivy, Totodile, Eevee, Torkoal, Bayleef, Buizel, and Corphish all came out of their Pokeballs. Pikachu jumped next to them all to greet his friends old and new. As soon as Bayleef was released, she charged towards Ash and tackled him in affection.

"I guess Bayleef still loves you, Ash." Tracey chuckled.

"Now Bayleef, I'm Ash's girlfriend. Don't get any ideas." Misty joked towards the Leaf Pokemon.

Everyone laughed, including Bayleef.

"Hey, I know it's great to see you too, but could you please get off?" Ash chuckled and begged.

As soon as Ash asked, she listened and got off of him.

"That's a good idea Ash, why don't we all release our Pokemon." Brock suggested.

"Alright, let's do it." Misty said.

"Come on out everyone!" Misty, Brock, and Tracey released all their Pokemon.

Misty released Gyarados, Dewgong, Starmie, Psyduck, Azumarill, and Seadra while Elektra jumped off her shoulder and behind her scared.

"What's wrong Elektra?" Misty asked the worried female Pikachu.

"I think she's scared because she never met your other Pokemon." Brock observed.

"I guess that's true. Elektra, these are all of my other Pokemon. There's no reason to be scared." Misty reassured Elektra.

Elektra shyly walked up towards the other Pokemon and introduced herself to Misty's other Pokemon. To everyone's surprise, Gyarados was the first to greet her. Elektra was nervous at first, but then got comfortable with the Atrocious Pokemon. After Gyarados accepted Elektra, all of Misty's Pokemon accepted her as well.

"See, I told you that they would accept you Elektra." Misty told her.

"Pi Pikachupi!" (Thanks Misty!) Elektra exclaimed.

"Let me get my Pokemon out." Brock said as he released threw the Pokeballs.

Steelix, Golem, Marshtomp, Ludicolo, Crobat, and Croagunk all came out of their Pokeballs.

"Now last but not least, my Pokemon!" Tracey exclaimed.

Fearow, Azumarill, Venomoth, and Scizor all came out of their Pokeballs.

As the Pokemon were socializing, Ash wanted to decide who to train with first.

"I think I'll train with Eevee first since it doesn't have a lot of experience." Ash said. "Hey Brock, why don't you have Croagunk battle Eevee?"

"Sure, no problem Ash." Brock said.

"Hey Elektra, why don't you have Pikachu help train you?" Misty asked.

"Good idea Mist. Hey Pikachu, why don't you help Elektra on some attacks? You should teach her some new ones too." Ash said.

The two Pikachus looked at each other and began to blush.

"I think they like each other!" Misty teased.

That remark made Elektra and Pikachu blush even more. After that little embarrassing moment, the Pikachus went over to another area to train.

While they were doing that, Misty went towards the lake to train all her water Pokemon. Tracey trained all his Pokemon while Ash and Brock's Pokemon began training amongst themselves knowing what to do. Ash and Brock began battling.

"Remember Brock, the goal is to make Eevee stronger." Ash said.

"I know Ash; don't worry, we won't go to hard." Brock said.

"Okay good; now Eevee, use quick attack!" Ash ordered.

Eevee sprinted towards Croagunk with impressive speed and hit Croagunk.

"Wow, Eevee's really fast. It must have done some training while it was at Professor Oaks." Brock observed.

"I guess so, now use tackle!" Ash ordered.

"Dodge and use poison sting!" Brock ordered.

Croagunk jumped over Eevee and shot the poison stingers at the Evolution Pokemon.

"Get out of the way!" Ash shouted.

Eevee was somehow able to dodge the attack, but it still took some damage.

"Great job Eevee." Ash said.

"Croagunk, use brick break." Brock said.

"Dodge it with agility." Ash said.

Eevee saw Croagunk going for the attack and quickly dodged it.

"Great, Eevee use shadow ball!" Ash ordered.

A dark, shadowy ball started to form in Eevee's mouth and then unleashed it onto Croagunk, who took full damage.

"Nice shot Eevee; finish it with headbutt!" Ash shouted.

Eevee sprinted towards Croagunk again.

"Quick, use brick break Croagunk!" Brock quickly ordered.

When Eevee was in range, Croagunk smacked it with its brick break. But to their surprise, Eevee didn't go down. Now it was a power struggle between Eevee's head and Croagunk's arm. Ash knew what to do.

"Use sand attack to blind Croagunk!" Ash ordered.

Eevee was somehow able to push sand into Croagunk's eyes while still battling his brick break. Croagunk was now blinded.

"Try headbutt again." Ash said.

Eevee now was able to hit Croagunk with its headbutt, causing Croagunk to faint.

"Nice job Eevee; you must of gotten stronger at Professor Oaks lab." Ash complimented his Pokemon.

"Good job Croagunk, return." Brock said.

After their battle, he went to check on the other Pokemon during their training. They decided to train for a few more hours.

After the training, it was starting to become dark. They all returned their Pokemon and they decided to try to get Azalea Town before it was completely dark. Luckily for them, they made it and stayed at the Pokemon Center for the night.

The next morning, they were outside walking around Azalea Town when all of the sudden they saw fireworks that were visible to everyone in the town.

"Hey, what's up with the fireworks?" Ash asked.

"I don't know; is there a celebration?" Misty asked.

"Hey, let's ask Officer Jenny." Brock suggested.

The gang went to the police station to find Officer Jenny, but she was busy talking to the other officers.

"There's an emergency in Goldenrod City! We need to get up there as soon as possible!" Officer Jenny shouted.

"Oh no, what's going on over in Goldenrod City?" Brock asked.

"I don't know, but we gotta find out!" Misty answered.

"I agree; we gotta help them!" Ash exclaimed.

"Let's go then!" Tracey exclaimed.

XXX

There's chapter 16. I know it was kinda boring and I guess it was a "filler" chapter, but all of their Pokemon got stronger. Also, they'll all be getting new Pokemon soon. So what could possibly be going on in Goldenrod City? You'll have to find out next time! Until then, see ya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated.


	18. Chapter 17- Not So Golden

I don't have much to say about this chapter, but once you read it, you'll understand where I'm going with this. So without further ado, here's chapter 17!

Chapter 17- Not So Golden

After hearing about Goldenrod City being in trouble, the gang wanted to help out. So they approached Officer Jenny, who just finished her speech.

"Hey Officer Jenny, we heard what's going on and we want to help you out." Ash said.

"It's great that you wanna help, but what can you do?" Jenny asked rudely.

"Look, we're all Pokemon Trainers. I'm Misty from Cerulean City." Misty introduced herself.

"And I'm Expert Pokemon Breeder and Doctor Brock Harrison." Brock said.

"I'm Tracey Sketchit, the assistant to Professor Oak, Pokemon watcher, and part time trainer." Tracey said.

"And I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet town!" Ash introduced loudly.

Jenny looked at them all.

"Hold on, I'll be right back." Jenny told the group.

She walked away over to a group of top ranked officers, discussing whether they should accept help from a random group of young adults.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Ash whispered.

"Probably whether or not they'll accept our help." Brock whispered.

Meanwhile, Officer Jenny was debating whether or not to accept their help with the other officers.

"They could be of great use to us." One of the officers said.

"On the other hand, they have no experience." Another officer said.

"How about this; we contact Lance and ask about them." Jenny suggested.

"I guess that's a good idea." Another officer said.

Jenny walked towards a videophone to contact Lance, The Dragon Master, leader of the G Men, and the Champion of Kanto and Johto.

"Hello Officer Jenny." Lance said.

"Hey Lance, we got offered help by some young adults and we don't know whether to accept it or not." Jenny explained.

"Well, did you get their names?" Lance asked.

"Yes, there names are Ash Ketchum, Cerulean City Gym Leader Misty, Doctor and Breeder Brock Harrison, and Professor Oaks Assistant Tracey Sketchit." Jenny said.

"Yes, absolutely we need their help! They're not just a random group of kids. I know a lot about them. They've been through way more in their lives than all of us have combined. Remember that horrible storm in the Orange Islands all those years ago? Ash was the hero who saved the world and was only 11 years old." Lance explained.

"I see, we'll be up there as soon as possible with back up." Jenny said.

"Good, bring them with you." Lance said.

"Got it." Jenny said as the screen went black.

Officer Jenny was now clear on her decision. If she didn't bring the group of kids, Lance would probably rip her head off. But she still had her doubts about them for some odd reason. She was forced to put her doubts aside and take them with her.

"Come on you guys; we need your help." Jenny told the group of young adults.

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed.

"Come on Ash; there's no time to celebrate." Misty said.

"How are we getting to Goldenrod City?" Brock asked.

"By vehicle; now get in." Jenny ordered.

Without question, they all went into the police car that was big enough to fit all of them in. Jenny was the driver, Brock had shotgun while the other three took the back seat. After they all got into the car, she turned on the sirens. She had to drive through the Ilex Forest, which isn't an easy place to drive through. The group of young adults were wondering who she was talking to and what could possibly happen in Goldenrod City.

"So Officer Jenny, what's going on in Goldenrod City?" Brock asked.

"We have reason to believe that Team Rocket has taken over the Radio Tower." Jenny said.

They all gasped and then got angry right away.

"Team Rocket; I hate those low life's." Ash said in complete anger.

"We all do Ash, but you need to keep your composure." Jenny said calmly.

"It's okay Ash; we'll be able to defeat Team Rocket like we always do." Misty said trying to calm down her angry boyfriend.

Ash took a few deep breaths and was calm.

"Thanks Misty; I appreciate it." Ash said.

"No problem Ash." Misty said.

"You really know how to calm him down, don't you?" Jenny said.

"Yeah, we're dating." Misty told her.

"That's great to hear, but save the flirting until we're done. We're almost in Goldenrod City." Jenny said.

"Sorry." Ash and Misty apologized.

After about an hour of driving, they finally made it to Goldenrod City. She drove lightning fast the entire time that they've been in the car. She drove and stopped right in front of the crime scene. The Radio Tower was surrounded by police officers, private detectives, Lance and the G men, and yellow tape. The group got out of the car to confront everyone who was at the crime scene.

"Hey Lance, what's the report?" Jenny asked.

"From one of my men who's undercover said that they kidnapped the owner of the tower." Lance replied.

"This isn't good." Jenny said.

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey were standing behind the officer quietly. They've never been in this type of situation before, so they didn't know what to do. Lance noticed them behind her.

"Oh good, you brought the group of kids. How's it been?" Lance asked the group.

"We're good; we were traveling to Mahogany town to challenge Pryce." Ash said.

"Ah, entering the tournament I see? We'll talk about it more after we're done here." Lance said.

"Good, what's the activity in the tower?" Jenny asked.

"According to my Intel, they're grunts on every floor guarding the stairways." Lance asked.

"What do they want with the radio tower?" Misty asked.

"We're not 100% sure, but we think that they want to send a broadcast that'll be able to take over the minds of Pokemon; whether there wild or owned by trainers like yourselves." Lance explained.

"Wait; is this what the dream was about?" Brock asked.

"What dream?" Lance asked curiously.

"Well, a while back ago, we all had this dream that a voice said that he needed our help." Ash answered.

"Do you know who the voice was?" Lance asked.

"Not exactly, but Sabrina the Saffron City Gym Leader said that it could possibly have been Mewtwo." Misty explained.

"It makes perfect sense; they take over the tower to get a signal strong enough to control Mewtwo. We need to stop them now." Lance said.

"So how are we going to do that?" Jenny asked.

"We don't have much time to make a full proof plan. We need to save the owner of the tower and prevent Team Rocket from launching their signal." Lance explained.

"Here, I've got a copy of the schematics of the radio tower." One of the G men interrupted.

"Perfect, now we can make a legitimate plan. Okay…" Lance trailed off observing the schematics.

Meanwhile, the group of young adults looked back and forth between Lance and the entrance of the tower. They desperately wanted to just run into the building and defeat each member of Team Rocket and save the owner, but they knew that they couldn't do anything stupid. They didn't know if they had hostages, but they assumed that they did. They knew that they would be outnumbered, but that didn't matter to them. They've been through tougher situations than this.

"Alright, we have a game plan." Lance announced.

"What is it?" Ash asked anxiously as he wanted to help so badly.

"We're going to have to enter at different points in the building. There are ten floors of the tower. Ash and I will enter from the roof top to take out the leader. Tracey and Officer Jenny will enter on the 5th floor of the building to take out the grunts that are in patrol. Misty and Brock will enter right in the front of the building to take out the grunts on the lower levels. I'll also have my G men who are trainers help us as well." Lance explained.

"How are we going to get up there?" Ash asked.

"We'll ride on my Dragonite!" Lance exclaimed as he released the Pseudo Legendary Pokemon of Kanto. "Hop on Ash, we have to hurry."

"Okay." Ash said while getting on the Dragon Pokemon.

"Alright then, Go Fearow!" Tracey released his Pokemon. "Come on Officer Jenny."

"Alright." Jenny said while getting on.

"You know what to do." Lance said.

"Wait Ash; please be careful." Misty said worried.

"Don't worry Misty, I'll be fine. I want you to be careful too." Ash responded.

"I will; I'll see you back here soon." Misty said confidently.

"Alright; let's get going. We have no time to waste." Ash said.

With that, the groups separated. Misty and Brock made their way through the crowd of people to make it to the front entrance, Officer Jenny and Tracey flew upon Fearow's back and found an open window on the 5th floor to infiltrate through, and Lance and Ash flew all the way to the top of the tower to get in through the rooftop entrance.

XXX

"Domino, we got bad news." Jesse said.

"What is it?" Domino asked.

"Ash and his friends are going into the radio tower." Jesse said.

"_Damn it; we can't have him in there. Giovanni will kill me if he's trying to stop the broadcast." _Domino thought.

"Hello Domino; did you hear me?" Jesse asked.

"Affirmative; don't worry; this'll be a perfect 'test' for him and his friends to see how good he is. By the way, did he win a badge yet in Johto?" Domino said.

"Yes, he beat Faulkner of Violet City." Jesse replied.

"Okay." Domino said.

"Do you want us to stop them in the tower?" Jesse asked.

"Negative; I need you to keep observing him and his friends." Domino replied.

"Alright then, Jesse out." She said.

"So what's going on Jesse?" James asked her.

"She wants us to stay in our position." Jesse replied.

"Man dis stinks. I jus wanna do sometin already." Meowth interrupted.

"I know I wanna do something too, but if we don't listen to her, the boss will have our heads." Jesse said.

"Have you guys ever thought about quitting Team Rocket?" James asked out of the blue.

"Are you serious?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, I'm finding this boring and it's getting me nowhere in life. I just wanna move on." James said.

"I've thought bout it too. But I remember dat he took me in as a stray and gave me food and a place to stay. So I really can't if I wanna." Meowth said.

"Same here, but I wouldn't know what I'd wanna do." Jesse said.

XXX

"Starmie, use psychic!" Misty commanded.

"Steelix, use dragon breath!" Brock ordered.

Misty and Brock battled grunts left and right. Luckily, it's been easy for them. The grunts mostly have Raticate and Golbat and they wiped the floor with the grunts on the first floor while rescuing the hostages.

"Alright, that's everyone Misty. We gotta keep going." Brock said.

"Okay, let's go then." Misty replied.

They made their presents known already. As soon as they went up the stairs, they were surrounded by more grunts. Luckily, some of the G men were already battling.

"Damn it; when will they give up?" Misty asked Brock.

"I don't know Misty; but at least we have back up." Brock answered.

Brock kept using his Steelix and Misty kept using Starmie to battle off the low level grunts.

XXX

Meanwhile in the upper levels, Jenny and Tracey were battling low level grunts as well, but they were a little tougher. They both had to use two Pokemon each.

"Scizor, use metal claw and Azumarill use rollout on the Golbat!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Growlithe, use flamethrower and Pelipper use hydro pump on the Raticate!" Jenny exclaimed.

The two powerful attacks hit the grunts Pokemon and instantly knocked them out. The grunts were nervous because they knew that they just got defeated.

"Put your hands up; you're all under arrest!" Jenny shouted.

As soon as Jenny shouted that, all the grunts listened and got onto their knees and let her handcuff them all. The hostages were relieved to say the least.

"Alright, you're all safe for now. There all still grunts in the building; so I need all of you need to stay here for now. I'll come back for you all." Jenny explained to the victims.

"We understand; just get these thugs outta here." A male victim said.

"Don't worry; we'll get em outta here. Just you wait." Jenny said confidently.

"Here, let's get going to the next floor." Tracey said.

"Alright everybody; we'll be back. You don't need to worry about a thing." Jenny reassured.

The two rescuers went upstairs to the next floor to find out that some of the G men were already there doing some battling.

"We need to help them out; let's go Growlithe and Pelipper!" Jenny shouted.

"Let's go Scizor and Azumarill!" Tracey exclaimed as they both made their way to where the action was.

XXX

Lance and Ash made it to the rooftop of the radio tower with no problem, which was strange for them.

"Why did we make it to the roof so easily?" Ash asked.

"I don't know; my guess is that there luring us into a trap." Lance assumed.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Ash asked.

"We have to go in there, trap or not." Lance said.

"Alright, let's get going." Ash said.

Ash and Lance walked down the stairs not knowing what they were about to get themselves into. As soon as they made it to the door leading to the room, they stopped to see if they were ready one last time.

"Are you ready Ash?" Lance asked the young trainer.

"You know I am. I've been through worse." Ash answered enthusiastically.

Lance chuckled. "I know you have."

The two opened the door.

"It's dark in here." Ash whispered.

After he said that, the lights were flicked on, revealing two of Team Rockets best agents.

"Who are you guys?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I'm Hun." Hun said.

"And I'm Attila, and we just lured you both into a trap." Attila said.

"Wait, what do you mean a trap?" Ash said.

"Damn it; I knew it." Lance said angrily.

"Knew what Lance?" Ash asked the dragon master.

"They never had the owner in the first place did you?" Lance asked the duo.

"We do have him actually. We just tricked you into thinking that he was up here." Hun said.

"Then where is he then?!" Ash demanded.

"Relax boy; he's safe down the basement. But that doesn't matter because you won't be getting out of here." Attila said.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you two won't win. You aren't going to use this tower to control Pokemon." Lance said.

"We'll see; now go Skarmory and Muk!" Attila shouted.

"Go Steelix and Magnezone!" Hun shouted.

"If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get. Go Dragonite and Aerodactyl! Lance exclaimed.

"Get in there Pikachu; Totodile, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

"Muk use sludge bomb and Skarmory use wing attack!" Attila shouted.

"Steelix use iron tail and Magnezone use shock wave!" Hun shouted.

"Dragonite use flamethrower on Magnezone and Aerodactyl use rock slide on Skarmory!" Lance ordered.

"Pikachu use thunderbolt on Muk and Totodile use hydro pump on Steelix!" Ash commanded.

Muk released the sludge bombs at its opponent only to be countered by Pikachu's thunderbolt. Skarmory was going to attack Aerodactyl with wing attack, but was hit with a barrage of rocks because of Aerodactyl. Skarmory fainted after the barrage was finished. Magnezone's shock wave was about to hit Totodile, but Dragonite's flamethrower not only cancelled its attack, but hit Magnezone directly, causing it to faint on contact. Steelix was about to use Iron tail, but Totodile stopped it with his powerful hydro pump. Steelix was barely standing after the attack.

"Muk use toxic on that Pikachu!" Attila shouted.

"Quick Pikachu, dodge it using agility!" Ash shouted.

"Steelix, use Iron tail on Aerodactyl!" Hun shouted.

"Dodge it Aerodactyl!" Lance shouted.

Pikachu was barely able to dodge the toxic and luckily it didn't get poisoned. Steelix hit Aerodactyl enough to make it weak.

"Use sludge bomb on that Totodile!" Attila ordered.

Muk unleashed the barrage of sludge bombs at the Big Jaw Pokemon hitting it directly leaving Totodile weak.

"Come on Totodile, you gotta pull through!" Ash encouraged.

Totodile was struggling to get up, but it did.

"Awesome Totodile, use hydro pump on Steelix!" Ash commanded.

When Totodile was getting ready to unleash his hydro pump, it began to glow white.

"No way, that kid's Totodile is beginning to evolve!" Hun said.

Totodile was finished with his transformation and was now a Croconaw.

"Ash, your Totodile evolved into a Croconaw!" Lance exclaimed.

Ash quickly took out his Pokedex to see what it said about it.

"_Croconaw, the Big Jaw Pokemon, and the evolved form of Totodile. Once it bites down, it won't let go until it loses its fangs. New fangs quickly grow into place._

"Alright, Croconaw finish that Steelix with a hydro pump!" Ash exclaimed.

The newly evolved Croconaw unleashed a very powerful hydro pump onto Steelix, causing it to faint.

"Now Dragonite, use ice beam on Muk!" Lance ordered.

Dragonite unleashed the powerful ice attack onto Muk, causing it to freeze up.

"No, our Pokemon, you'll pay for this!" Hun shouted.

Attila and Hun began running for the exit, but Lance wasn't going to let that happen.

"Dragonite, use ice beam on the exits!" Lance ordered.

Dragonite used its ice attack to freeze the exit towards the roof and also to the 9th floor, leaving them nowhere to run.

"Now, start talking!" Ash ordered.

"You won't get anything from us!" Attila shouted.

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt on them!" Ash ordered.

Although Pikachu wasn't comfortable attacking humans, it had to in order to get the information they needed. So he unleashed the powerful attack on the two rockets, leaving them quite shocked, but they were still conscious.

"Now will you talk?" Lance asked grinning.

"Fine, what do you wanna know?" Hun asked, knowing she was defeated.

"What's really going on?" Lance asked demandingly.

"Well, we found out that this tower isn't strong enough for our broadcast. We kept our control over it to lure you guys here. The real tower we're going to use is at the Lake of Rage." Attila admitted.

"Damn it; it was a trap!" Lance shouted in anger.

"Yes it was and you fell right into it. Now how are ya gonna get out?" Hun asked.

"Lance, Lance, it's Officer Jenny; let me in here." Jenny screamed banging at the door.

"Ash, get the door please." Lance said.

"No problem; step back Officer Jenny, the door's frozen. Torkoal, use flamethrower on the door." Ash said releasing the coal Pokemon.

Torkoal used its flamethrower attack to burn the ice off the door, allowing Officer Jenny to enter the room.

"Lance, we all took care of the grunts." Jenny said.

"What about Misty, is she okay?" Ash asked nervously.

"She's fine Ash; she's outside waiting for you." Jenny answered.

"Thank you." Ash said relieved.

"Well, we were lured here." Lance said.

"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.

"They were never going to use this tower. Team Rocket wanted to lure us here to distract us from going to the Lake of Rage." Lance said.

"The Lake of Rage?" Jenny asked.

"They're going to send the signal from there. I'm afraid that they're going to do it soon. We have to hurry up and get there as soon as possible. Arrest these two men then meet me outside. Come on Ash." Lance said.

"Right." Jenny and Ash replied.

Officer Jenny arrested Attila and Hun while Ash and Lance returned their Pokemon and ran out of the room to meet the rest of the gang. Misty was ecstatic to see Ash.

"Ash, you're okay!" Misty exclaimed while running to Ash to embrace him.

"Misty, I'm so happy you're okay!" Ash said gladly accepting her embrace.

"Alright, break it up." Tracey said.

"Guys, guess what?" Brock said.

"What?" Everyone replied.

"I rescued a Growlithe and an Ampharos from Team Rocket." Brock said.

"That's awesome Brock, congrats!" Ash said.

"That's great, but I have to tell you all what we'll be doing next. Ash already knows, but we need to get to the Lake of Rage to stop Team Rocket." Lance said.

"Excuse me Lance, but we have reports from Ecruteak and Olivine Cities." One of the G men interrupted.

"What are the reports?" Lance asked.

"Something has happened at the Burned Tower in Ecruteak and water Pokemon are acting crazy in Olivine attacking the city." He reported.

"Oh no, that means that they've already activated it." Lance said.

XXX

There's chapter 17! A lot has happened in this chapter. Ash and the gang meet up with Lance to stop Team Rocket, Ash gets a new Croconaw and Brock rescues a Growlithe and an Ampharos. But are they too late? Can they save the Johto region from certain destruction? Find out next time. Until then, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated.


	19. Chapter 18- One Step Closer

A lot of things happened last chapter. Let's see how it all plays out.

Chapter 18- One Step Closer

"What's the game plan?" Ash asked Lance.

Lance had to think for a moment. He figured that Team Rocket already started the signal at the Lake of Rage. But with the reports of Ecruteak City and Olivine City, he didn't know what to do first. Should he go to the Lake of Rage right away to stop the signal and hopefully everything won't be completely destroyed, or should he go to each city to see what's going on over there before he went to Lake of Rage? A lot of thoughts, plans, and scenarios were running through Lance's head.

"Hey Lance; did you hear me?" Ash asked.

"Ash, don't be rude. He's thinking about a plan for us." Misty told him.

"Oh, sorry about that Lance." Ash said.

"It's alright Ash; I did come up with a plan." Lance said.

"So what are we going to do?" Jenny asked.

"Jenny, I need you to go and rescue the owner of this tower. He should be able to provide information about why they decided to try to take over the tower. We need to know what kind of technology that they are going to use." Lance explained to the officer.

"No problem Lance. I'll call as soon as I have him." Jenny said and then left to go to the task.

"So Lance, are we going to straight to the Lake of Rage?" Brock asked him.

"Good question Brock; I've thought about that, but we need to see what's going on in the other cities and try to stop that first." Lance answered.

"Okay, so let's get going." Tracey said.

"Right, but let's go to the Pokemon Center first so our Pokemon can recover." Lance said.

"Good idea." Misty said.

With that, they made it towards the Goldenrod City Pokemon Center. They all gave Nurse Joy the Pokemon that battled to save everyone from the tower, which were Ash's Pikachu, Croconaw, Dragonite, Aerodactyl, Scizor, Azumarill, Growlithe, Pelipper, Starmie, and Steelix. Brock also gave the Ampharos and Growlithe he rescued from Team Rocket to recover. After they handed her the tired and injured Pokemon, they discussed in further detail about Lance's plan.

"So Lance, do you know what's going on in Ecruteak and in Olivine?" Ash asked.

"No not exactly; my men said that the water Pokemon are going crazy and attacking each city." Lance said.

"The poor Pokemon; I don't understand why they're doing this." Misty said.

"Well, obviously they want to control Mewtwo, but they don't have the power yet. I also think that they're doing it this way because they want the world to fear Team Rocket." Lance guessed.

"We're not afraid of them, right guys?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Right!" Everyone except Lance exclaimed.

Lance laughed. "I love the enthusiasm, but this isn't the same Team Rocket you used to run into. This Team Rocket means business."

"Here you are guys; thank you so much for your help. Good luck to you all." Nurse Joy said.

"Anytime Nurse Joy," Lance said. "Guys, let's get going."

"Okay." The gang replied after getting their Pokemon.

XXX

"So it was just a trap?" James asked.

"Apparently so; also apparently we're using the tower at Lake of Rage to capture Mewtwo." Jessie answered.

"Man, dis stinks. What are we supposed ta do?" Meowth asked.

"Let me find out. Domino, this is Jessie; do you want us to do anything regarding Ash and his little gang?" Jessie asked Domino.

"No, you have to stay out of the way. We can't risk having you getting exposed." Domino replied.

"But who's going to stop them from stopping us?" Jessie asked.

"We have other agents doing that already. Just stay in your position and follow orders." Domino ordered.

"Okay fine, Jessie out." She replied.

"It looks like we're not doing anything; am I right Jessie?" James asked.

"Yup, hit it right on the money." Jessie answered dully.

"Maybe you were right James, maybe we should quit." Meowth said.

XXX

Luckily for the group of five, it didn't take them that long to reach Ecruteak City. But when they made it, the entire town was covered with bug Pokemon, causing Misty to cringe in fear.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew! I totally hate this right now!" Misty screeched.

"Misty, it's okay; I won't let any of them get to you." Ash reassured her.

"Why is the town covered with bug Pokemon?" Tracey asked.

"Hey didn't this happen before?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, this happened when Team Rocket stole one of the silver bells from the tower." Brock said.

"Should we see if that happened again?" Misty asked.

"It's worth a shot, but we gotta get through this mess first." Lance said.

"Don't worry, I got this. Torkoal, come on out and use flamethrower!" Ash said.

"You too, Growlithe!" Brock said.

Torkoal and Growlithe came out of their pokeballs and began firing flamethrowers at the webs that are blocking their way towards the city.

After they made it to the city, they went towards bell tower to see if any of the bells were stolen. While on the way, the entrance is blocked by Pokemon getting ready to attack.

The Pokemon blocking the entrance attacked the group, but their attacks fell short of their target.

"Gengar, use hypnosis on them!" A voice said.

"You too Alakazam!" Another voice said.

After the two commands were shouted, the two Pokemon came out and did their attacks and put the wild, angry Pokemon to sleep. Then the two trainers finally confronted the group.

"Hey Lance, it's great to see you." Morty said.

"Nice to see you too; who is your friend?" Lance asked.

"My name's Eugene." Eugene introduced.

"Oh hey, it's Ash, Misty, and Brock!" Morty exclaimed.

"Hey Morty; thanks for saving our butts." Ash said.

"It was no problem. I'm sorry, who's your friend?" Morty asked.

"My name's Tracey Sketchit." Tracey introduced.

"Guys, we need to save the intros for later. What's going on here?" Lance asked.

"Everything was fine one minute and all of the sudden, Pokemon were going crazy and attacking the city. We really don't know what's going on." Morty answered.

"Also, there were no silver bells stolen from the tower." Eugene added.

"I knew it." Lance said.

"Knew what, what's going on?" Morty asked.

"This is Team Rocket's doing. They've already activated the signal at the Lake of Rage. We need to stop them, but first we need to help you guys and the people in Olivine City." Lance said.

"How about we split up into groups." Eugene suggested.

"Good idea; Ash, Misty, Brock and Tracey go to Olivine City and see if you can stop the commotion over there. While I stay here with Morty and Eugene to get this city under control." Lance said.

"Alright, we got it. Come on guys, let's get going." Ash said.

With that, Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, Pikachu, and Elektra sprinted towards the exit of Ecruteak City towards Olivine.

XXX

"Domino, they're splitting up into groups. Do you still want us to follow them?" Jessie asked.

"Yes, they'll have a nice surprise waiting for them." Domino answered.

"Alright then, Jesse out." Jessie said.

"What's da game plan?" Meowth asked.

"We still have to follow them." Jessie answered dully.

"Are you beginning to see what I mean? This is boring; I don't wanna keep following them anymore." James said angrily.

"Oh, stop your complaining, will you?" Jessie complained.

"James is right dis time. I'm sick and tired of being a low life." Meowth said.

"Well we can't do it right now even if we wanted to do." Jessie said.

"But I know how we can." James responded right away.

"How can we?" Jessie and Meowth asked.

XXX

The four of them had finally made it to Olivine City. But when they made it there, the city was half destroyed. People were running to get out of the city. The cause of the destruction was none other than the powerful water Pokemon. There was water everywhere in the city and there were whirlpools that were dangerously close to the land. And it was Team Rocket's Cassidy and Butch to make sure that the destruction was to not be disturbed.

"Oh no, look at this city." Misty said with sadness while looking at the Pokemon who are destroying the city.

"This is really sad." Tracey added.

"Oh no, look out guys!" Brock exclaimed as a hyper beam was coming right at them. They all were lucky enough to dodge the attack.

"Man that was close." Ash said relieved.

They look in the middle of the ocean to see two familiar Rocket Agents.

"Oh no, it's you two again!" Brock exclaimed.

The two Rockets laughed evilly before saying their repetitive motto.

"Prepare for trouble and this time you won't ruin our plan." Cassidy began.

"And make it double because this time, we're in command." Butch continued.

Cassidy: "To infect the world with devastation."

Butch: "To Blight all peoples in every nation."

Cassidy: "To denouce the goodness of truth and love."

Butch: "To extend our wrath to the stars above."

Cassidy: "Cassidy."

Butch: "Butch."

Cassidy: "Team rocket circling the earth both day and night."

Butch: "Surrender to us now or you'll surely lose the fight."

Raticate: "Raticate!"

"It's Cassidy!" Tracey exclaimed.

"And Bob!" Ash exclaimed.

Butch heard the name mistake and went ballistic.

"THE NAME'S NOT BOB, IT'S BUTCH! IT'S BUTCH AND YOU KNOW IT! STOP GETTING MY NAME WRONG!" Butch shouted.

"Why are you letting this happen?!" Misty exclaimed.

"Do you guys have no souls?!" Ash exclaimed.

"You get to use to having no soul." Cassidy calmly replied.

"And now we're going to beat you this time! Go Cloyster and Mightyena!" Butch exclaimed.

"Go Tentacruel and Sableye!" Cassidy exclaimed.

"Let's get in there Pikachu! I choose you, Eevee!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pi Ka!" (Oh yeah!) Pikachu exclaimed.

"You too, Elektra! Go Staryu!" Misty exclaimed.

"Pi Ka!" (Oh yeah!)" Elektra exclaimed.

Ash also released Bayleef, Snivy, and Bulbasaur.

"Brock and Tracey; take Bayleef, Snivy, and Bulbasaur and try to stop the Pokemon from attacking the city!" Ash said.

"Of course." Brock began.

"Let's go guys!" Tracey finished.

Cloyster and Tentacruel were in their battle positions in the water while Mightyena and Sableye took battle positions on the land.

The four Pokemon for Misty and Ash were all on the land getting ready to battle.

Brock and Tracey brought out Ampharos and Azumarill to also help out Ash's Pokemon to help contain the wild water Pokemon that were out of control.

XXX

Meanwhile, Lance, Morty, and Eugene were fighting a losing battle in Ecruteak City. They were doing their best to fight off the Pokemon that were wrecking the city, but it wasn't enough.

"It seems no matter how much we get rid of these webs, the bug Pokemon make more!" Lance shouted in anger.

"When are you going to the Lake of Rage to stop this?" Morty questioned.

"When I know when the cities are safe from harm." Lance replied.

"Guys, Alakazam can't keep this up for much longer." Eugene shouted.

"Neither can Gengar. What are we going to do Lance?" Morty asked in distress.

"I don't know guys; keep fighting them off for just a little while longer." Lance answered.

"Alright then, Gengar use hypnosis then dream eater!" Morty ordered.

"You do the same Alakazam!" Eugene ordered.

Both of the Pokemon used their hypnosis to put all their attackers to asleep and then continued with their attack by eating their dream, causing them all to faint. But as soon as they were unable to battle, more came to take their place.

"This is it guys, get ready!" Lance shouted.

The Pokemon began to attack the trainers Pokemon and them as well. But out of nowhere, they heard multiple screams as well as four figures near the burned tower, causing all the wild Pokemon to stop attacking.

"Is that what I think that is?!" Morty said in complete shock.

"It's four of the legendary Pokemon of Johto!" Eugene said in astonishment.

"Unbelievable, Ho-oh, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou came here to save us." Lance said also in astonishment.

"And repair the city." Morty said.

Slowly but surely, the city was magically repaired of all damage. And everything seemed to returned to normal like nothing happened.

"Thank you all for your help." Lance, Morty, and Eugene said in unison to the legendary Pokemon.

They acknowledged their gratitude with their calls and then disappeared in thin air.

"Wow, it's amazing how they can appear right in front of you one minute than vanish the next." Morty said.

"It really is." Eugene said.

"Okay, I suggest that we go to Olivine and see how the others are doing." Lance said.

"Right." Morty and Eugene said in unison.

XXX

In Olivine City, Ash and Misty were doing their best to stop Butch and Cassidy.

"Eevee, use shadow ball on Sableye!" Ash ordered.

"Staryu, use swift on Mightyena!" Misty ordered.

After the long battle with the two Pokemon that are on the land, Eevee and Staryu's attacks hit the two Pokemon directly, causing them to faint.

"Damn it," Cassidy cursed. "Tentacruel use sludge bomb on Staryu!"

"Cloyster, use ice beam on Eevee!" Butch ordered.

The two attacks from the two Pokemon in the water hit Eevee and Staryu directly. Staryu fainted and Eevee was barely standing.

"Come on Eevee, you can do it!" Ash encouraged.

Eevee was barely able to stand, but all of the sudden Eevee began to glow white.

"Ash, your Eevee's evolving!" Misty said.

"Yeah, but into what?" Ash wondered.

"It's still the day time, so it should be an Espeon." Misty answered.

As most of the time, Misty was right. Once Eevee completed its transformation, it became an Espeon.

"Alright, that's awesome," Ash exclaimed. "Finish them both with a psychic attack!"

The powerful psychic attack weakened Cloyster and Tentacruel.

"Let's finish this Misty." Ash winked at her.

"I know where you're going with this, and I agree." Misty winked back.

"Uh oh, this isn't good." Butch said.

"Pikachu," Ash began.

"Elektra," Misty began.

"Use thunderbolt!" Both Ash and Misty said in unison.

Pikachu and Elektra both used their thunderbolt on the weakened water Pokemon to completely finish them and shocked Cassidy and Butch to send them blasting off again!

"What happened to us? We were supposed to win!" Cassidy complained.

"I don't know, but I do know is…" Butch began.

"We're blasting off again!" Butch and Cassidy said in unison.

"Alright you guys, great job!" Ash complimented his tired Pokemon.

"You did great Elektra!" Misty exclaimed towards her Pikachu.

"We should go see if Brock and Tracey need our help." Ash suggested.

"Good idea." Misty agreed.

XXX

Brock and Tracey weren't having the kind of success that they would hope to have. Most of the Pokemon that were attacking were Tentacruel, Gyarados, Lapras, Dewgong, Cloyster, and Lantern. Brock's Ampharos fainted after three long battles and Tracey's Azumarill fainted after a battle with two Tentacruel and a Gyarados. Meanwhile Bulbasaur, Snivy, and Bayleef were still battling although they were very tired.

"Come on guys, just a little longer. Bulbasaur, use solarbeam on the Lapras and Snivy, use vine whip on the Gyarados!" Brock said.

"Bayleef, use razor leaf on the Tentacruel!" Tracey exclaimed.

The three grass Pokemon all attacked again, but they seemed to have no effect.

Ash and Misty arrived to see how they were doing.

"Hey guys, we took care of Cassidy and Biff. How's it going over here?" Misty asked.

"Not good guys, we're losing and need help badly!" Tracey exclaimed.

"It doesn't seem like this is going to end soon!" Brock said.

"We have to keep going. Come on guys, I know you can keep going!" Ash encouraged all his Pokemon.

Bayleef found a new strength to keep going. Meanwhile, Bulbasaur and Snivy began to evolve!

"No way; Snivy and Bulbasaur are also evolving!" Ash exclaimed.

Everyone stood there in astonishment that his Pokemon were evolving. It took a minute for them to complete their evolutions, evolving into Ivysaur and Servine.

"Alright, way to go; Servine use attract and Ivysaur use sleep powder!" Ash commands.

Servine used her attract to make the Pokemon fall in love with her while Ivysaur put everyone to sleep.

"Alright, way to go guys!" Ash exclaimed.

"Nice job Servine and Ivysaur!" Misty exclaimed.

As soon as they began to celebrate, the Pokemon began to wake up again, disappointing the group of young adults.

"Aw man, how could they all be awake so fast?" Tracey asked out loud.

"It's probably because of the signal's getting stronger!" Lance shouted while sprinting towards the group with Morty and Eugene.

"Hey there Lance; how's Ecruteak City?" Brock asked.

"It's completely fixed. We had some help." Lance said.

"Who helped you?" Misty asked.

As soon as Misty asked that question, they all heard roars coming from the distance.

"They did." Lance replied simply.

The same four legendary Pokemon came to the rescue once again. They had calmed down the attacking Pokemon plus fixed up the entire city to have it look like nothing even happened to it. As soon as they finished, they disappeared again.

"Wow that was amazing." Ash said in awe.

Everyone looked at the ocean and where happy to see that all the water Pokemon had calmed down. Misty wanted to catch a Tentacruel and a Cloyster before they left. Ash was also looking out and saw a very familiar Lapras.

"Alright, I'll be back." Misty said.

"I'm coming with you." Ash said.

Everyone was confused and just decided to follow them.

Misty was busy battling a weakened Tentacruel and Cloyster while Ash was looking for the Lapras he saw earlier.

"Hey Lapras, it's me!" Ash shouted.

The Lapras turned around and swam rapidly towards Ash.

"It is you, this is great!" Ash said while embracing the Transport Pokemon.

"Hey, do you want to join me on my journey again? I'm entering in a big Pokemon Tournament and you would be a great help for my team." Ash said trying to persuade it to come with him.

Ash could see that Lapras was torn between coming with him and its pack. He wanted to join with him, but it had a pack of other Lapras to take care of. Out of nowhere, another Lapras was seem to tell Ash's Lapras that it should go with the trainer, but they weren't sure. After some more talking, Lapras had made its decision. It was indicating that it wanted to travel with Ash again.

"That's awesome Lapras; I brought your Pokeball just in case." Ash said as he tossed the Pokeball and Lapras was caught right away and transported to Professor Oak's lab.

Meanwhile, Misty just ended her battle by catching both Tentacruel and Cloyster, adding them to her collection of water Pokemon.

"Alright, I caught a Tentacruel and a Cloyster!" Misty exclaimed doing Ash's famous pose.

"Good job Misty." Tracey and Brock said.

"Awesome sweetie." Ash said.

"Thanks sweetie." Misty replied.

"Stop with the flirting you two; we're not done yet." Lance interrupted their moment.

"Haha, sorry Lance." Misty and Ash said with a sweat drop and scratching the back of their heads in embarrassment.

"We still have to go to the Lake of Rage, don't we?" Brock asked.

"Yes." Lance simply answered.

"We'll come with you." Morty said.

"No, you and Eugene need to stay in Ecruteak City and make sure nothing else happens there. Now let's get going before this gets worse." Lance said.

"Right." They all said.

_"Good, now we're one step closer towards stopping Team Rocket." _Ash thought.

XXX

There's chapter 18! I was originally going to separate this into two chapters, but decided to combine them. A lot of things have happen this chapter; Ash had 3 Pokemon evolve! And also they saved Ecruteak and Olivine city from destruction. Also Misty caught a Cloyster and a Tentacruel and Ash met up with Lapras and decided to go with him. The next chapter is the Lake of Rage. I also need your help with something. What Pokemon should Tracey get? I can't really think of one that he should get. I know you're wondering why this only occurred in Olivine and Ecruteak City, but you'll find out next time. Until next time, see ya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated.


	20. Chapter 19- The Lake of Rage

A lot of things happened last chapter, including captures, evolutions, legendary Pokemon, and Team Rocket. And now, this is the conclusion for the mini Team Rocket arc. So without further ado, here's chapter 19.

Chapter 19- The Lake of Rage

After their encounter with Team Rocket, Ash and the gang, including Lance, were really tired from today's events. So they all went into the Pokemon Center in Ecruteak City to discuss what they were going to do tonight.

"Lance, are we going to go and attack the tower tonight?" Ash asked.

"I want to, but the only problem is that everyone and their Pokemon are tired. We have to rest tonight and attack early tomorrow morning." Lance answered.

"We could always just keep the Pokemon that are tired here and go back out now." Ash suggested.

"The thing is, I need Dragonite in order to do this. He's the only Pokemon that would be able to resist the effects of the tower." Lance said.

"Wait, none of the Pokemon didn't turn on us yet." Misty interrupted.

"True, but most likely the signal would be strong enough tomorrow so that it would happen." Lance said.

"Then why would Dragonite be strong enough to resist it?" Brock asked.

"From what I've found out, dragon types are resistant to the signal for some reason. I'm not exactly sure why though." Lance replied.

"Hey Ash, don't you have a dragon type Pokemon?" Tracey asked.

"I do; Lance, I have a Gabite that could help us out." Ash told him.

"Excellent; hopefully it's still the same tomorrow. I can guarantee that they're still working on it right now." Lance said.

"What about us that don't have any dragon type Pokemon?" Misty asked.

"I don't know yet. I need to find out more first." Lance said.

Then all of the sudden, Nurse Joy came over to the group of people with an announcement.

"Excuse Mr. Lance, you have a phone call for you." Joy said politely.

"From who?" Lance asked.

"It's from Officer Jenny in Goldenrod City. She says it's urgent." Joy answered.

"Okay, thank you very much. Excuse me everyone." Lance said.

Everyone nodded him and excused him.

"_I wonder why she took so long to call." _Lance thought as he made his way to the videophone to talk to Officer Jenny.

"Hey their Jenny, did you find him?" Lance asked.

"I looked where you said in the basement. But he wasn't there." Jenny said.

"What are you talking about? That's what those Rockets told me." Lance answered angrily.

"Yeah, I looked down there and he wasn't there. They must have lied to you." Jenny said.

"Damn it; alright, then he must be at the Lake of Rage then." Lance said.

"You may be right. So what do you wanna do?" Jenny asked.

"I need you up there by tomorrow morning. That's when we will strike." Lance told her.

"Alright; we'll see you then." Jenny said.

The screen went black as they both hung up. Lance was tenser than ever.

As Lance left the videophone to inform the group on what's going on, a man was next to him listening to the entire conversation.

XXX

Meanwhile at the Lake of Rage, Giovanni's helicopter had just landed right next to the building. He exited the helicopter with his trusty Persian. He was greeted by some grunts.

"You, what's the progress report?" Giovanni demanded the grunt to his left.

"Sir, the signal's almost complete." The grunt replied nervously.

"I want a number, give me a number!" Giovanni growled.

"Uh, Tyson said 90% finished." He nervously replied to the angry head man of Team Rocket.

"You, give me a cigar." Giovanni demanded pointing to the grunt to the right.

"Yes sir." He replied handing him his cigar.

Giovanni began to light up his cigar. He inhaled the smoke and then puffed it up before saying anything.

"Lead me to Tyson, now. I need to have a word with him." Giovanni angrily demanded.

"Yes sir, right this way." The grunt on the right said.

The two grunts lead the Rocket head honcho towards the main lab where Tyson was working at. He was growing more and more frustrated by the minute wondering why the signal isn't complete. They finally made it to where Tyson was working.

"Tyson, why isn't the signal complete?!" Giovanni snarled at the commander.

Tyson must not have heard him the first time because he was still focusing on his current task.

"Tyson, you better answer me right now!" Giovanni yelled angrily.

Tyson finally turned around and faced the angry boss.

"I was talking to an informant and they said that Lance knows about our plan." Tyson said.

"How much does he know?" Giovanni asked surprisingly calm.

"Well, he knows that everything is going on here. He also knows we have the owner of the Goldenrod Radio Tower, and he knows the one weakness of the signal." Tyson answered.

"Are you taking care of that weakness?" Giovanni asked with his temper rising.

"Yes, it'll be complete by morning." Tyson assured his boss.

"It better be, otherwise it'll be your head." Giovanni replied calmly again walking away and heading towards his office.

Meanwhile in the basement of the tower, the owner was working on fixing the signal against his will. He was surrounded by dozens of Rockets. If he tried to pull anything slick, they'd know.

"Remember, if you try anything slick, we won't be nice to ya." A rocket grunt said.

"I know, I know." He replied working on the signal.

"Are you almost done yet?" Another grunt asked.

"If you want this to work, you have to be patient." He replied.

Giovanni went up to the office to take care of business. He had to make phone calls to make sure everything was going smoothly. He first called the basement.

"Yes sir." A grunt answered the phone.

"Is he done yet?" He asked.

"No not yet." The grunt answered.

"Tell him he has 'til morning, or else he's dead." Giovanni demanded.

"Yes sir." The grunt replied and then the screen went black.

Giovanni dialed another number, hoping he would receive good news.

"Hello Giovanni, sir." Domino answered.

"Domino, are things going according to plan?" He asked hoping to get a good answer.

"Unfortunately no." Domino answered simply.

"What do you mean no? What's going on? Who's interfering with our plans?" Giovanni asked his top agent.

"We've had a few run ins with Ash Ketchum and his friends. They also have Dragon Master Lance helping them as well. They were successful in stopping the destruction of Ecruteak and Olivine." Domino explained.

"This is inexcusable!" Giovanni shouted at her, causing her to flinch. "What about those three idiots, are they doing their jobs?"

"Yes, they're doing their jobs spying on him and his friends. He completed Kanto and is halfway done Johto." Domino answered.

"_Alright, he would have been done Johto if he didn't interfere with us." _Giovanni thought. "Make sure he gets the qualifications as soon as possible."

"Yes sir." Domino replied and hung up.

"Damn it!" Giovanni shouted obviously angry about the situation. To help him relief his stress, he took another smoke of his cigar then began to pour him some rum. Then after a sip of his rum, he began petting his trustworthy Persian.

XXX

Back at the Pokemon Center, Lance was explaining what was going on.

"Listen everyone; we're going down to the Lake of Rage early tomorrow morning." Lance told them.

"What's the game plan?" Tracey asked.

"Ash, you're going to have to get your dragon type Pokemon for tomorrow. Everyone else, you'll be my watchers." Lance said.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"I'm sorry Misty, but if you don't have any dragon Pokemon, you won't be able to attack Team Rocket. So you guys are going to have to warn us if any Rockets may see us." Lance explained.

"So are you going to sneak in and stop it from the inside?" Brock asked.

"Precisely; yes it is a huge risk, but it's the only way to stop it." Lance explained.

"It's too dangerous." Tracey said.

"Like Lance said, it's the only way. Lance and I are going." Ash said.

There was a moment of silence that filled the atmosphere.

"We should get to bed." Lance suggested.

"Good night." Everyone said to each other.

Everyone went in and rented their room, with the exception of Ash and Misty. When Ash was lying down ready to fall asleep, Misty lied next to him wanted to talk about tomorrow.

"Ash, I don't like this idea." Misty said to him.

"Look Misty, I don't like it either, but it's something I have to do." Ash replied.

"No it's not. I don't wanna lose you." Misty said concerned.

"You won't Misty. We've been through too much to just have it end here." He responded grabbing hold of her soft and delicate hands.

"I know, but this is Team Rocket. They will kill you Ash." She said.

"I know that Mist; but I won't let them. We've always go into these dangerous situations and we always come out on top." Ash told her confidently.

"I know, but I just have a bad feeling about this one." Misty admitted.

"Well don't then. Pikachu, you're going to have to stay with Misty and them tomorrow while I infiltrate the tower with Lance." Ash told his partner.

"Pi ka!" (No way!) Pikachu shouted.

"Pikachu, you don't have a say. Besides, you remember what Lance said. If you get near there, you'll have your mind controlled." Ash told him.

"Pi" (Fine) Pikachu gave in.

"Ash, just promise me you'll be careful." Misty said.

"Don't worry sweetheart; as long as we're together, I'll never go away from you." Ash replied sweetly.

"I know." Misty said before moving closer to her boyfriend. They ended the night with a passionate kiss. As soon as they pulled out, they went to sleep.

XXX

Morning rose at the Team Rocket tower. Giovanni was on his way down to the basement to see if the signal was complete.

"Tyson, is the signal complete?" Giovanni asked.

"Yes sir; we fixed the weakness." Tyson replied.

"Alright, where's the owner?" He asked.

"We have him secured in a cell." Tyson answered.

"Lead me to him. I need to have a word with him." Giovanni demanded.

"Yes sir." Tyson said.

Tyson lead Giovanni to the prison cells, which were in the basement. He walked over towards the owner of the tower's cell.

"I heard you finished the signal for us. Is that correct?" Giovanni asked.

"Yes I did." He replied hastily.

"Well, you seem to be quite upset. I suggest you watch yourself. You're now useless to me so I can kill you right now if I really want to." Giovanni warned.

He went quiet, not wanting to die.

"Alright Tyson, lead me to the signal." Giovanni demanded.

"Yes sir." Tyson replied.

XXX

"Hey Professor Oak, how are you?" Ash asked.

"I'm good Ash, but why are you calling me this early?" Oak asked.

"Well, Team Rocket is planning something and I have to stop them." Ash answered.

"That isn't good, but what can I do to help?" Oak asked.

"I need you to send me Gabite and I'll give you my Espeon." Ash said.

"Alright, just give me a second." Oak said.

Oak went off screen to grab Gabite's pokeball. Ash put Espeon in the transfer system and sent it to Professor Oaks. Oak put Gabite's pokeball into the system and sent it to Ash.

"Thanks Professor; I'll tell you about Espeon later." Ash said.

"I'm looking forward to it." Oak said.

The screen went black and Ash walked over towards the group.

"I got him Lance." Ash said.

"Great, what dragon Pokemon do you have?" Lance asked curiously.

"I have a Gabite." Ash answered.

"The pseudo-legendary Pokemon of Sinnoh. Interesting, when it evolves into a Garchomp, it'll be very powerful." Lance said.

"I know, I've seen Cynthia's Garchomp. It's very powerful and I know Gabite can be that powerful." Ash said.

"So Lance, I know you said we'll be your spies. What do you mean by that exactly?" Misty asked.

"Great question, follow me outside everyone." Lance said.

Lance led the group outside and towards the vehicle he had. He opened the car door and grabbed two briefcases.

"What are those?" Ash asked.

"You'll find out in a second. Be patient." Misty told him.

"Follow me back to the Pokemon Center. We need to go to a private and secure room." Lance said.

Everyone listened to him and followed him back to the Pokemon center.

"Here, let's go to our room." Ash suggested.

"Alright, lead us to it." Lance said.

Ash led the group to his and Misty's room. When they made it to the room, they locked the door behind them. Then Lance unlocked the briefcases and revealed what was in them.

"So to answer your question Misty, you'll be using this equipment right here." Lance said.

In the briefcases was high tech equipment, including goggles that can see through walls, communication equipment like hands free radios, cloaking equipment, and equipment that can hear conversations up to 100,000 miles.

"So we're using this equipment to communicate with you and see what's in the tower?" Brock asked.

"Correct, Ash and I will infiltrate the facility and you guys will be our eyes and ears. If you see or hear anything, you can let us know." Lance answered.

"When do you think we should go Lance?" Tracey asked.

"Right now, but first we need to set up and get familiar with the equipment." Lance answered.

After Lance made all the necessary adjustments to the equipment, the group went out of the room. Meanwhile, the group didn't know what to do with Elektra and Pikachu.

"Should we leave them here?" Misty asked.

"I don't know what'll happen if they do activate it. I think we should take that chance and bring them with us." Ash answered.

XXX

"Hold on, I have to call Officer Jenny." Lance said.

Lance went over to the videophone and called Officer Jenny in Goldenrod City.

"Hey Lance, are you ready to move forward with your plan?" She asked.

"Yes, meet me at the Lake of Rage in ten minutes." Lance answered.

"On my way." Jenny said then hung up.

XXX

Lance got off the phone and went back to the group.

"Let's get to the Lake of Rage." Lance said.

"Alright." The group replied.

Everyone exited the Pokemon Center and went into Lance's car and he began driving towards the Lake of Rage.

Ten minutes later, they made it to the Lake of Rage and met up with Officer Jenny and they discussed their plan.

"So Ash and I are going to infiltrate the facility and you guys are going to pick up any important information." Lance explained.

"Okay, just be careful." Jenny said.

"Of course officer; Ash, let's get going." Lance said.

"Let's do it." Ash replied.

Lance and Ash were about to begin, but Misty grabbed Ash and pulled him in passionately kissed him.

"Be careful Ash." Misty said after they pulled out.

"You know I will." Ash replied.

"Come on Ash." Lance said impatiently.

Misty, Brock, Tracey, Jenny, and even Elektra and Pikachu were helping set up the equipment. After they got everything set up, Lance and Ash began their mission.

Ash followed Lance as they were making their way towards the tower. All of the sudden, they were pulled into a bush by a stranger.

"Who are you?" Lance whispered demanding to know the answer.

"It's Pryce, the Mahogany Town gym leader." Pryce answered.

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked whispering.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." Pryce whispered.

"We're going to infiltrate the Rocket tower and rescue the Goldenrod tower owner and stop the signal from launching." Lance answered.

"I can help you out. There's an underground entrance that they have no idea about." Pryce informed them.

"Where is it?" Lance demanded.

"Calm down, it's actually right next to us right there." Pryce answered while pointing to a section where the entrance of a forest.

"How do you know that Team Rocket hasn't discovered it yet?" Ash asked.

"I've been here for the last week and I haven't seen one Rocket come in or out of that entrance." Pryce answered.

"Lead us to it." Lance ordered.

Pryce, Lance, and Ash crept towards this "secret entrance" that he knew about. They entered it and went under cover.

"Lance to base, do you copy?" Lance asked the group.

"We copy Lance; where did you go?" Brock asked.

"Pryce found us a secret entrance and we're in it right now." Lance answered.

"Alright, no Rockets have seen us so far." Brock said.

"Good, keep it that way." Lance replied.

With that, the three kept traveling through this path way. They walked for another five minutes and saw a door at the end of the hallway. They looked through the window to see if there were Rockets there. Luckily for them, they weren't there. What were there were extra Rocket uniforms for them to put on.

"This is perfect, we can go incognito." Pryce said.

"This makes it easier right?" Ash asked.

"Yes it does; hopefully they'll be able to buy it though." Lance answered.

After they put on the Rocket uniforms, they rendezvous around the facility. Ash obviously wasn't happy about wearing the uniform of the people he hated the most.

"I hate this so much." Ash mumbled.

"I know you do, but you have to for now." Lance said.

XXX

"It looks like they made it in." Jenny said.

"Good, the faster they do it, the faster we can get outta here." Misty said who was obviously nervous.

"Don't worry Misty, they'll be fine." Brock reassured.

"I hope so." Misty replied still unsure.

XXX

After some walking around, they finally made it to the basement.

"Brock, where are we?" Lance asked through communication.

"You guys are in the basement, where the machine is to start the signal and the Goldenrod tower owner." Brock answered.

"Perfect," He replied to Brock. "Let's get to it. Ash and Pryce, I want you to do some more investigating to see if there is a way to stop the signal before it can get started. I'll rescue the owner of the tower."

"Alright, we got it." Pryce and Ash said.

After that, they went their separate ways. Lance was traveling towards the prison cells to find the owner. All the prison cells had one guard at each cell, but the problem is when Lance approached a cell with three prisoners and he saw that the prisoner was the Goldenrod City tower owner. That posted a problem for him. If he took even one of them out, he would be compromised.

"_How am I going to get him outta here without revealing my identity?" _Lance thought.

"Hey you," One of the three guards said, "can you cover for us? It's lunch time and we're hungry."

"Yeah, no problem." Lance replied.

The three guards left Lance to protect the cell by himself, which eliminated one problem. The other problem was how he was going to sneak him outta here without being spotted.

XXX

Ash and Pryce have been traveling through the basement trying to find where the signal would be started. As they were walking, a head commander was calling them.

"Hey you two, come here." Tyson called them.

"Yes sir." Pryce responded.

Pryce, followed by Ash, went over towards where the Rocket commander was and listened to what he wanted.

"You two, I need you to watch over the signal. It's not activated yet, but when it charges up, I need you to turn it on, got it?" Tyson asked.

"Yes sir." Pryce responded.

"Good, now get to it." Tyson ordered as he was leaving.

Tyson left the area. This was the perfect time for them to try to destroy it.

"This is our chance Ash. We gotta find a way to destroy it." Pryce whispered.

"Okay, let's do it then." Ash responded.

XXX

It had been ten minutes since Lance took over guarding the cell. There were other guards guarding their respective cells. All of the sudden, there was an announcement coming from no other than the head honcho of Team Rocket.

"Attention everyone, meet up on the first floor immediately." Giovanni announced.

All the guards began to go up to the first floor to see what the meeting was about. This was the perfect time for Lance to free the owner, but he had to find Ash and Pryce.

"Hey, I'm here to rescue you." Lance told him.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Lance removed his hat to reveal himself. After he did, he stuck the key in the lock and unlocked the cell.

"Hey Lance, thank you for rescuing me. Let's get outta here." He begged.

"We will, but first we have to get my partners as well." Lance said.

"Okay." He replied.

XXX

"Should we follow them?" Ash asked nervously.

"No, we still gotta find a way to destroy this thing. You gotta calm down kid." Pryce answered.

"Guys, I got him. Did you destroy it yet?" Lance asked approaching them.

"No, we don't know how to." Ash replied.

"Leave it to me." Lance said as he approached the computer system.

"Okay, we'll keep guard." Pryce said.

Ash, Pryce, and the Goldenrod Radio Tower owner all stood guard as Lance tried to hack the high tech security system of Team Rocket. Luckily though, Lance was also advanced in computer security technology and knew how to crack any security system.

"Are you almost done Lance?" Ash asked nervously.

"Don't worry Ash; we'll make it outta here." Lance reassured while doing his work.

"You gotta keep your cool kid." Pryce said.

Lance kept on with his business. He was getting close, but he felt so far away.

"_Wow, this is really secure. They're really determined to anything to protect this system." _Lance thought.

Lance typed another couple of keys and hacked the security system.

"Got it; now all I have to do is-"

"Lance, we got company!" Ash shouted interrupting Lance.

"So, we have intruders I see?" Giovanni said.

"We won't let you do this Giovanni." Ash said angrily.

"That's were your wrong. Persian, use hyper beam!" Giovanni ordered.

"Oh no, Dragonite, counter with your hyper beam quick!" Lance said while releasing his Dragon Pokemon.

Lance unleashed his trusty Dragonite and quickly unleashed a hyper beam to counter Giovanni's Persians hyper beam. They met in the middle and caused an explosion.

Once the smoke cleared, everyone was still alive, but the computer Lance was trying to hack got destroyed.

"Oh no, the computer got destroyed!" Ash exclaimed.

"It's alright Ash; they did the work for us. The signals destroyed." Lance said.

"Really?" Ash asked still not convinced.

"Unfortunately, the Dragon Master is right. I did destroy the signal with the hyper beam collision, but now that means you won't get outta here alive." Giovanni spat hastily.

"Ash, bring out your Gabite now!" Lance shouted.

"Okay; Gabite, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed as The Cave Pokemon came out of its pokeball and into a battle stance.

"Persian, use slash on his Gabite!" Giovanni exclaimed.

"Counter with dragonbreath!" Ash shouted.

As Persian was about to use slash, Gabite countered and hit Persian directly at close range with its dragonbreath, causing Persian to fall back and barely stand in front of his master.

"That's a powerful Pokemon you have there." Giovanni complimented.

"I would love to stay here and talk, but we really gotta get outta here." Ash said as him, Lance, Pryce, and the tower owner made their escape.

"After them!" Giovanni ordered the Rocket grunts.

They ran towards the same way they went in. Team Rocket was hot on their trail though. They had a think of a way to get them off their trail.

"Guys, I got this. Weavile, use ice beam on the floor!" Pryce shouted as he released the Sharp Claw Pokemon.

Pryce's Weavile unleashed a beam of ice on the ground, causing the Rockets that were chasing them to all slip and fall.

"Good, let's keep going." Lance said.

Luckily for them, they lost all the Rockets and made it outta the building safely. They went searching for the group of people.

"Ash, over here!" Misty exclaimed.

"Misty!" Ash shouted as he began sprinting towards his girlfriend.

Once they met in the middle, they embraced for what seems forever and then shared their most passionate kiss so far in their relationship.

"I'm so glad you made it outta there. I was getting nervous." Misty said almost breaking into tears.

"You don't have to worry. I'm here now." Ash said calming her down.

"How sweet." Jenny said out loud.

"Thank you guys for rescuing me." The tower owner said.

"I'm sorry, but what's your name?" Brock asked.

"It's Jim." He replied.

"It's no problem, Jim. But there is one more thing I have to do." Lance said.

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"You'll see; Dragonite, use hyper beam on the tower to destroy the tower!" Lance exclaimed.

Dragonite was charging and then unleashed it's most powerful attack on the tower to destroy it.

As soon as they heard the noise, police showed up onto the scene. Asking everyone of them questions about what happened.

"What did you do that for?" Ash asked.

"I thought you hated Team Rocket. And the only way to guarantee that this won't happen again is to destroy it." Lance explained.

"I do, but I don't want any of them dead." Ash said.

"Not even Giovanni?" Lance asked curiously.

As the tower was crumbling down to the ground, they noticed that a helicopter was flying into the air. They also noticed that a man in an all-black suit on had a loud speaker.

"You may have won this time, but you won't win that tournament!" Giovanni exclaimed as the helicopter flew away.

"That's not good." Ash said.

"At least you don't have to worry about him until then." Brock said.

"We have to find out what he has planned for us then." Tracey said.

"So, you're entering in the tournament? How about a gym battle in a couple days?" Pryce offered.

"Definitely; in fact, I was going to challenge you anyway." Ash said.

"Good, it'll be a six on six battle. Be prepared for it." Pryce said.

"Thank you Ash and Pryce for your services. I and the G men appreciate it. I have to go now." Lance said.

"It's no problem. Anything I can do to stop Team Rocket I'll do." Ash said.

Lance hopped onto his Dragonite and flew away waving to the group of people who helped him stop Team Rocket.

"I have to get back Azalea Town. Thank you for all your help." Jenny said.

"Good bye Officer Jenny." The group of four said before she went to her car and drove away.

"So since the police are taking care of this scene, what do you guys wanna do for the rest of the day?" Brock asked.

"How about we go back to Mahogany Town and get some food." Ash suggested.

"Why do you only think about food?" Misty asked. But after she asked, her stomach roared in hunger.

"Looks like I'm not the only one hungry." Ash teased.

"You'll pay for that." Misty threatened.

"Stop fighting and let's get to town." Brock said.

So after all the drama that happened the past couple days, they can finally rest for a bit before Ash's gym battle against Pryce.

Finally, chapter 19! Sorry I took so long. I wanted to end this little Team Rocket saga right and I felt like I did. Also I have some bad news. I start college again Wednesday . Well, I'd rather be on break and continue to work on this story. I won't be able to upload new chapters until the weekends. So this maybe the last time until this weekend. I'll try to do another chapter tomorrow, but most likely it won't be uploaded. So what do you guys think so far? We're about half way done until the tournament. I can't wait for the tournament! Until next time, see ya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated!


	21. Chapter 20- A Much Needed Wake up Call

Hey everyone, I'm back! I know it's been a while. It's kinda hard to post when you're doing college work. I appreciate for all the reviews that people gave and I've definitely considered them as I prepared this chapter. You'll see when I'm finished this chapter. So without further ado, here's chapter 20 (finally)!

Chapter 20- A Much Needed Wake Up Call

After dealing with Team Rocket, the group of four decided to go to Mahogany Town and get something to eat.

"Hey guys, let's go to this nice little diner." Misty suggested.

"That's fine with me as long as I get something to eat!" Ash exclaimed then sprinted towards the diner.

"Ash, wait for us!" Tracey shouted.

Misty, Brock, and Tracey began sprinting in order to catch up with Ash, who was already at the diner. After they caught up with him, they entered. It was a small diner, but it was the most popular place to go to eat in Mahogany Town. The walls were ice blue, while the tables and seats were white, representing their love for Ice type Pokemon. Once the gang found a place to sit, they began discussing.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm happy that this whole Team Rocket thing is over." Ash said.

"Yes, definitely; they are nothing but a pain." Brock said with the same sound of relief Ash had.

"Same here." Tracey said.

"I am as well, but I'm still concerned about them." Misty said.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Remember what he said when he flew off in the helicopter. He said "You may have won this time, but you won't win that tournament!" I wonder what he meant by that." Misty answered.

"You're right Misty; maybe we should be more careful. They might be spying on us right now." Brock suggested.

"Are you sure guys?" Ash asked not convinced.

"It's definitely a possibility." Tracey said.

"Ash, we fall for their disguises all the time. Don't you think it's a possibility that they could be spying on us right now?" Misty suggested.

"I guess it is, but I really don't wanna talk about Team Rocket right now." Ash said.

"Well, what do you wanna talk about?" Misty asked.

"Hello, sorry for interrupting your conversation; I'm Jack and I'll be your waiter today. Can I get you guys a drink?" He said.

"Oh don't worry about it. Can I get a glass of water?" Misty asked sweetly.

Ash began glaring at her. He knew what she was doing.

"Yeah, can I get a Coke?" Ash asked angrily.

"I'll have a glass of water as well." Tracey said.

"I'll get a Coke too." Brock said.

"Okay, two Cokes and two waters coming up. I'll be right back." Jack said.

Jack walked away getting their drinks and Ash glared at Misty.

"Oh, what is it Ash?" Misty asked innocently.

"You know what it is." Ash answered angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Misty asked innocently a second time.

"You know I'm not as dense as I used to be. I know you're flirting with him just to make me mad." Ash answered.

"Damn you Ash; that's why I liked you better when you were dense." Misty teased.

"Thanks Mist, really appreciate it." Ash replied.

"Will you two stop already? It's so annoying." Brock complained.

"Sorry Brock, we'll try to calm down." Misty said.

Jack came back with all their drinks.

"Here are your drinks. Are you guys ready to order?" He asked.

"Yeah, can I get a bacon cheeseburger?" Ash asked.

"I'll have the baby back ribs." Brock said.

"I would like to have tuna please." Misty said.

"I'll have the 25 buffalo wings please." Tracey said.

"Of course, I'll be back in about 30 minutes with your orders." Jack said.

"Hey Ash, when are you going to challenge Pryce?" Brock asked.

"I think the day after tomorrow. I want tomorrow to be a training day." Ash answered.

"Who are you going to use?" Misty asked.

"Well, since he uses Ice type Pokemon, I'll use my fire type Pokemon. So that would be Charizard, Quilava, Torkoal, Infernape, and Pignite." Ash answered.

"Yeah, but that leaves you with one more to choose." Tracey said.

"I know, so I think I'll use Pikachu since he'll most likely also have water type Pokemon." Ash said.

"Wow Ash." Misty said simply.

"What is it Mist?" Ash asked.

After all this time, it still surprises me that you prepare for the battle instead of just running right into one without a strategy." Misty answered.

"Well, that just means that the things we kept telling him when he was younger are finally getting into his head." Brock joked.

"Haha, you're so funny Brock." Ash replied.

"Ash, you know were just kidding with you. I know you'll beat Pryce." Brock reassured.

"I know and then it'll be onto the Johto Elite four member." Ash said excitedly.

"Remember, focus on Pryce first." Misty said.

"I know, I know." Ash said.

"Ash, it's my job as your girlfriend to keep your ego in check." Misty said.

"That's not all you do." Ash said with a sexual tone in his voice.

"Now this is getting creepy. So please stop?" Tracey begged.

"Fine Tracey, whatever you say." Ash said.

"Hey look, here's our food." Brock pointed out.

"Here is your food." Jack said while handing out the food. "Enjoy your meals."

"Wow, it was already a half hour?" Misty asked.

"I guess; well, let's get eating!" Ash exclaimed happily.

Everyone began eating their food. Ash began eating his at a faster rate than everyone else. It took them about another 30 minutes to finish all their food, but for Ash, only 15. After they all finished their food, Ash paid at the front, since he did have a lot of money and no one else really had any money with them.

When they got out, it was beginning to get dark, so they decided to turn in early.

"Aw man, I really wanted to go to the Lake of Rage." Ash complained.

"How do you still have all of that energy?" Brock asked.

"Brock, you should already know that I can be hyper when I wanna be." Ash answered.

"Yeah, but we battled Team Rocket today, and not the Jessie and James Team Rocket we're used to seeing. I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed early tonight." Tracey said.

"I am too; I'm just too tired to do anything." Brock agreed.

"I'm also really tired Ash. Why don't we just go to bed and we can go to the Lake of Rage tomorrow?" Misty begged.

"Alright fine, I guess we can go to bed now." Ash gave in.

With that, the gang decided to go to the Pokemon Center instead of making Ash pay for a nice hotel. It was only 7:00pm and everyone was really tired except Ash. But no matter how bad Ash wanted to fight to get everyone to the Lake of Rage, he was going to lose. So they all rented rooms and decided to go to bed early.

Misty was usually the first one to wake up in the morning and today was no different. She woke up at 8:00 am this morning and decided to get ready before Ash, Pikachu, and Elektra decided to get up. Misty decided to take a shower while he was sleeping, so she closed the door, took off her clothes, turned on the hot water, and went in and felt the hot water fall on her skin. While she was in the shower, she was thinking of a previous conversation she had with Ash.

"_I don't like Dawn and I'll tell you about it later." _She thought.

"I should probably tell him about it. But why do I really not like her? Am I just jealous?" She asked herself out loud.

She decided to put that off for later. She finished her shower and got ready. It was 9:00 am already and she needed to get Ash up.

Ash, Pikachu, and Elektra were all still sleeping while Misty was getting ready. Misty decided it was time to get everyone up and out of bed.

"Ash, Pikachu, Elektra, it's time to get up." Misty said.

"What time is it?" Ash mumbled out.

"It's 9:00 am; we can have breakfast at The Lake of Rage." Misty promised.

"Alright I'm getting up." Ash replied still tired.

Ash got up, which made Pikachu and Elektra get up as well. Ash went into the bathroom and began to get ready.

While Ash got ready, Misty decided to head out and see if Brock and Tracey were getting ready. But as Misty was going to knock on their door, Brock opened the door.

"You guys ready?" Misty asked.

"Yup." Brock and Tracey said in unison.

"How about we have breakfast at the lake." Misty suggested.

"That's a good idea." Tracey said.

"But we gotta wait for Ash." Misty reminded them.

"Of course we do. How is he still so lazy?" Brock said.

"I don't blame him though. He's probably still exhausted from battling Team Rocket." Misty defended her boyfriend.

"I guess that's a good enough reason to sleep in." Brock said.

"Let's go wait for him at the lobby." Tracey suggested.

"Okay, good idea." Misty said.

Ash was already finished his shower and brushing his teeth. He really wanted to have breakfast. So he quickly threw on his clothes and met everyone out in the lobby where they were talking.

"Hey guys, let's get going!" Ash exclaimed.

"Finally, we've all been waiting for you." Brock said.

"Hey, where are Pikachu and Elektra?" Ash asked.

They looked around the Pokemon Center to look for the two electric mice Pokemon. But it didn't take them long to find them near the corner talking to each other.

"Aw, that's so sweet." Misty said.

"Do you think they like each other the way we used to?" Ash asked.

"That's what it looks like. I wanna get a sketch of this." Tracey said.

Tracey took out his pad and pencil and began to draw the two Pikachu that were conversing with each other.

"Hey Tracey, I was gonna ask if you still draw." Ash said.

"I still do." Tracey said while focusing on the drawing. "There, I'm done."

"Alright; let's get going then." Brock said.

"Pikachu, Elektra, time to get going." Misty said to them. They glared back at them, causing Misty to giggle.

"I think you just ruined their moment." Ash stated the obvious.

After Misty ruined the two Pikachu's moment, they began to travel to the Lake of Rage for their breakfast. It didn't take them that long. Luckily, it wasn't crowded for them today. The police left last night as they were finished with their investigation at the tower that exploded yesterday. Brock began setting up breakfast, while Misty and Ash began to look for fire wood. Tracey decided to help out Brock. The two Pikachu decided to relax while the humans were doing everything.

After another 15 minutes, they got breakfast ready and began to eat.

"Hey Ash, didn't you say you were going to train today?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, why?" Ash asked.

"Well, did you get your Pokemon yet?" Brock asked.

"No, we're out here eating. I'll get them after we're done." Ash said.

"How are you going to train?" Tracey asked.

"Hey Misty, would you help me train for this gym battle?" Ash asked his girlfriend politely.

"Well, since you asked nicely, I will." Misty answered.

"Thanks." Ash said.

After breakfast, Ash sprinted towards the Pokemon Center to get the Pokemon he wanted for the battle. He used the phone and called Professor Oak.

"Hi Professor Oak." Ash greeted.

"Hey Ash, what can I do for you today?" Oak asked.

"I was hoping you can send me all of my fire type Pokemon that are staying with you." Ash asked.

"Of course, you have Torkoal with you right?" Oak asked.

"Yup; now I need Charizard, Infernape, Quilava, and Pignite." Ash answered.

"Alrighty then, I'll be right back then." He said.

Oak disappeared from the screen to go get their Pokeballs. He reappeared within a minute.

"Here they are Ash. Who are you going to give me in return?" Oak asked.

"I think I'll give you Servine, Espeon, Corphish, and Buizel." Ash replied.

They both placed their Pokeballs into the transfer machine and they each received four Pokeballs.

"Thanks Professor." Ash said.

"No problem Ash. Who are you facing?" Oak asked.

"Pryce of Mahogany Town." Ash answered.

"Good luck then. Keep me posted." Oak said.

"Thanks; I will." Ash replied.

After Ash received all his Pokemon, he sprinted back to the group to realize everyone was doing their own thing.

They all had their Pokemon out and they were playing near the lake. The water Pokemon went into the lake. Misty was waiting for Ash, Brock was watching everyone play, and Tracey was busy sketching whatever he was sketching.

"Come on out everyone!" Ash exclaimed throwing nine Pokeballs in the air. Charizard, Infernape, Torkoal, Quilava, Pignite, Sceptile, Ivysaur, Bayleef, and Croconaw all came out of their Pokeballs.

"Hey everyone, we need to get some training in today because tomorrow will be the gym battle. So all my fire Pokemon and Pikachu need to come here so we can begin." Ash said.

"Come on Ash, can't you train later? I want them to enjoy this lake." Misty begged.

"Fine, go have fun. We'll train later." Ash said disappointingly.

His Pokemon exclaimed in happiness and went off and went to have fun with everyone else.

Ash couldn't blame Misty though; it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining really bright today, the grass was really green, and the sky was as blue as the lake and clear with no clouds in the sky. As an added bonus, it wasn't extremely hot. Also, the lake was as clear as crystal. So Ash decided to go and join Misty, who was relaxing near the lake.

"I don't blame you for wanting me to wait on training." Ash said.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful out today." Misty replied.

"Not as beautiful as you." Ash said.

"You're so corny, but I love it." Misty said as she moved closer to him.

While Ash and Misty were spending some time to themselves, Tracey was still sketching all the Pokemon playing and having a good time. He looked to his left and saw something else sketching as well.

"Hey guys look, it's a Smeargle." Tracey said.

"Cool, is it wild?" Brock asked.

"I don't know. There's no sign of other trainers near here. It doesn't have any accessories on it saying that it would belong to anyone." Tracey answered.

Ash and Misty came over to see what the commotion was about.

"Cool, a Smeargle." Ash said.

"Yeah, and it's mine." Tracey said determined. "Let's go Azumarill."

As soon as the aqua rabbit Pokemon heard his name, he came in front of Tracey ready to battle the wild Smeargle.

"Use hydro pump, Azumarill." Tracey ordered.

Azumarill unleashed the powerful water attack on the painter Pokemon and knocked it out in one hit.

"Here's my chance, Pokeball go!" Tracey said as he threw it.

The pokeball hit the painter Pokemon and got sucked in right away, but he was fighting to break free as the pokeball was shaking rapidly left and right. But the pokeball began to slow down and then stopped, indicating that Tracey caught Smeargle.

"Awesome, I caught a Smeargle!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Nice job Trace." Misty complimented.

"Why was it so easy for you to catch it?" Ash asked.

"Well, Smeargle only knows one attack and it's called sketch. So the only attack it could use at that time is hydro pump." Brock explained.

"Alright Ash; do you wanna start training now?" Misty asked.

"Yes please." Ash answered.

"Can you guys watch our Pokemon? I wanna go to the mart and get some stuff for lunch." Brock asked.

"I'll go with him. I need to heal my new Smeargle." Tracey said.

"Sure no problem." Ash answered.

Brock and Tracey left to take care of their errands, which left Ash and Misty all alone with all the Pokemon.

Ash and Misty began their training for the day.

XXX

Brock and Tracey came back to see Ash and Misty doing some serious training. Ash was so into it that he skipped lunch, which is something that he never does. He wanted all the Pokemon he was using tomorrow to be in tip top shape for the battle tomorrow.

He kept training until night fall, where everyone was exhausted.

"Nice job today guys. I feel like we're ready for the battle tomorrow. Now return and take a nice long break." Ash said as he returned the five fire type Pokemon.

"Let's go Ash; you need your rest and so do your Pokemon." Misty said.

"I know, let's leave now." Ash said.

They made their way to the Pokemon Center and Ash turned his Pokemon to Nurse Joy for the night. Again they decided to go to bed early that night. But Ash couldn't quite fall asleep just yet.

"I feel really confident about tomorrow, how about you Pikachu?" Ash asked his best Pokemon friend.

"Pika!" (Yeah!) He quietly exclaimed.

"You should feel confident. That's how've you always been. I don't want that to change." Misty said.

"I know, but I'm definitely more confident than ever." Ash said.

"Maybe because you're actually prepared instead of going in blind." Misty suggested.

"That's what I was thinking." Ash said.

"Let's get some sleep. Good night Ashy." Misty teased.

"Night Mist." Ash replied.

They drifted in dream land together holding each other tightly.

The next morning came and Misty, as usual, was the first to wake up at 8:00 am. But to her surprise, Ash decided to get up at the same time.

"You must be excited for the battle today." Misty said.

"I guess I am." Ash said. "What's todays date?"

"It's June 12, why?" Misty asked.

"It just seems like I've been going through this really fast." He answered.

"Well, It's gonna take us about a week to get to the Pokemon League again, another couple days to get to Pallet Town, then who knows for the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions." Misty explained.

"I guess you're right." Ash said.

"I know I am." Misty bragged.

"Yeah, yeah okay. We gotta get ready." Ash replied.

Ash and Misty took their time to get ready for the day ahead of them, while Brock and Tracey were getting up and doing the same thing.

They went towards the cafeteria and ordered a quick breakfast. Ash seemed like his normal self, saying how confident he is that he's going to win and as usual his three best friends trying to calm that ego of his.

It was 10:00 am when Ash decided to head over to the gym. Ash was excited for finally being able to battle Pryce.

"I'm here to challenge you Pryce!" Ash shouted while barging in the stadium.

"Good, let's begin now, shall we?" Pryce said.

The battlefield was the same as Ash remembered when he challenged it the first time in Johto six years ago. The whole battlefield was made up of ice with ice boulders all around the field and there was a mini pool in the center.

Misty, Brock, and Tracey found a bench to sit on to get ready to cheer Ash on.

"This will be a six on six battle. Only the challenger can substitute his Pokemon. Are the rules clear?" The referee asked.

They both nodded in agreement.

"Let the battle begin!" He exclaimed.

"I choose you, Quilava!" Ash exclaimed releasing his first Pokemon.

The Volcano Pokemon came out and took a battle stand with the flames on its body shooting out of it.

"He looks powerful, but you won't beat me. Go Beartic!" Pryce exclaimed.

The Freezing Pokemon came out and took a battle stance.

"Begin!" The referee shouted.

"Quilava, use flame wheel!" Ash exclaimed.

"Use hydro pump Beartic!" Pryce ordered.

Quilava was really close to hitting Beartic, but the Freezing Pokemon unleashed a powerful hydro pump at point blank range just before Quilava had the chance to hit it.

Quilava was hit back to its side of the field fainted.

"Quilava is unable to battle, Beartic wins!" The referee announced.

Everyone was absolutely shocked, especially Ash. He didn't think that Quilava would be taken out that early.

"Return Quilava." Ash said disappointingly.

"Are you going to give up?" Pryce asked.

"I don't give up. I never had and I won't start now. Pignite, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

The Fire Pig Pokemon took his stance with fire coming from his nostrils.

"Pignite, use fire pledge!" Ash ordered.

Pignite stomped its foot onto the ground and fire pillars shot out of the ground coming towards Beartic.

"Counter with surf!" Pryce ordered.

Beartic created water and unleashed it at Pignite. It cancelled its attack and hit Pignite directly. The same result happened.

"Pignite is unable to battle, Beartic wins!" The referee said.

"Return Pignite." Ash said.

"Ash lost twice in a row. This isn't good." Brock said.

"That's one powerful Beartic." Tracey said.

"Come on Ash, you can beat that Beartic!" Misty cheered.

This put a grin on his face. Now he was filled with confidence again.

"Pikachu, you ready to battle?" Ash asked.

"Pika!" (Yeah!) He responded.

"Alright; let's start off with a thunderbolt!" Ash exclaimed.

Pikachu unleashed a powerful thunderbolt and actually hit Beartic. Beartic slowly recovered from the attack.

"That's a powerful thunderbolt, but you'll need more than that to win. Beartic, use ice beam!" Pryce ordered.

Beartic began to form the ice beam attack and unleashed it at Pikachu.

"Quick, use agility!" Ash said.

Pikachu dodged the attack in time, but began to slide all over the field, unable to control itself.

"Use blizzard." Pryce said calmly.

Beartic unleashed the snowstorm attack to slow down Pikachu, which is what he wanted. It also had another effect.

"Pikachu, get outta there!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu tried to move, but all four of his paws were frozen solid.

"Perfect, now use ice punch!" Pryce commanded.

Beartic ran towards the Pikachu, who was frozen in place, and jumped at Pikachu and hit it with its ice punch attack. Once it made contact, a mist covered the field.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed worried about his Pokemon.

When the smoke cleared, Pikachu was lying on the ground fainted.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Beartic wins." The referee said.

Ash ran up towards Pikachu to see if he was okay.

"Are you okay buddy?" Ash asked.

"Pika." (Yeah.) Pikachu replied disappointed.

"It's okay Pikachu, you did your best. You deserve a rest." Ash said.

He walked towards Misty and handed Pikachu to her.

"Since the challenger lost three Pokemon, there will be a 15 minute break." The referee announced.

Ash sat down next to everyone to discuss what could be going on.

"It's okay Ash, your still in this battle." Brock encouraged.

"I don't understand how he swept me. We trained really hard yesterday." Ash said.

"He is really strong, but you're stronger." Misty encouraged.

"We know you can beat him." Tracey encouraged.

Ash let the words sink in and looked at them with that smile he's known for.

"Thanks guys, I really needed that." Ash said.

"Now, go get him." Misty encouraged.

As he walked back onto the battlefield, he had a surge of confidence within him. But Misty and everyone else still had doubt.

"Are you ready to continue?" Pryce asked.

"Yep, let's do this. Go Torkoal!"

"Beartic, use ice beam!" Pryce ordered.

"Counter it with flamethrower!" Ash said.

The ice beam and the flamethrower collided in the middle of the battlefield. It was a draw.

"_Good, it looks like Beartic's starting to get tired." _Ash thought. "Now use flamethrower again!"

"Oh no you don't, blizzard!" Pryce yelled.

The flamethrower was about to hit Beartic, but when he used blizzard, it cancelled the flamethrower, which left Ash confused.

"_How are his ice attacks cancelling out my fire attacks?" _He thought in confusion.

"Use hydro pump!" Pryce shouted.

Beartic unleashed the powerful water attack.

"Use iron defense!" Ash ordered.

Torkoal hid underneath his shell, but it was no good as the water attack made it past its defense, which caused it to faint.

"Torkoal is unable to battle, Beartic wins." The referee said.

Ash returned the fainted Pokemon into its pokeball.

"Infernape, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

The Flame Pokemon took a fighting stance and stared down the Freezing Pokemon.

"Infernape, use flamethrower!" Ash said.

"Counter with hydro pump!" Pryce ordered.

The two attacks met in the middle. To Pryce's surprise, hydro pump was losing to flamethrower.

"_Beartic must be exhausted." _ He thought.

"Come on Infernape, keep it up!" Ash encouraged.

Infernape kept pushing the flame until he broke the hydro pump and hit Beartic. After it got hit, it was noticeable that Beartic was getting tired.

"Let's finish this battle with flare blitz!" Ash shouted.

Infernape began to cover itself with a blue flame and charged at Beartic. Beartic had no time to react and got hit by the powerful fire attack, which caused an explosion to cover the two Pokemon.

Once the smoke cleared, Infernape was left standing while Beartic was lying on the ground fainted.

"Beartic is unable to battle, Infernape wins." The referee announced.

Once they heard the announcement, the sideline exploded with cheers.

"Yeah, way to go Ash!" Tracey cheered.

"Nice one Ash!" Brock cheered.

"I knew you could do it!" Misty cheered.

"Pika chu Pikapi!" (Nice job Ash!) Pikachu and Elektra cheered.

"Return Beartic." Pryce said.

"Impressive Ash, no one has been able to defeat my Beartic. Now let's move on. Go Jynx!" Pryce said.

The Human Shape Pokemon came out and was ready to battle.

"Infernape, use dig!" Ash ordered.

Infernape dug a hole in the frozen battle field, looking to attack Jynx.

"That'll do you no good. Use Psychic, Jynx!" Pryce said.

Jynx used Psychic to get control of Infernape and picked it up out of the hole it dug and threw it.

"That's not good." Brock pointed out.

"Use Psychic again!" Pryce said.

Jynx once again got a hold of Infernape and threw it around. Infernape didn't look so hot after being hit by the two psychic attacks in a row.

"Come on Infernape, use flamethrower!" Ash encouraged.

Infernape didn't do anything at first, but all of the sudden, its special ability began to kick in.

"Oh no; Brock, what's happening?" Misty asked nervously.

"It's Infernape's special ability blaze. When it gets weakened enough, blaze will kick in and make its fire attacks stronger." Brock informed her.

"Infernape, use flamethrower!" Ash said.

This time when Infernape unleashed its flamethrower, it was a lot more powerful than before. The flamethrower made contact with Jynx, which caused an explosion.

Once the smoke cleared, Jynx stood there unharmed, which surprised everyone except Pryce.

"What, how is that possible?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I had Jynx use protect right before the flamethrower hit. Now Jynx, finish this battle with one last Psychic!" Pryce said.

Jynx hit Infernape with one more Psychic, which was enough to make it fall over and faint.

"Infernape is unable to battle, Jynx wins." The referee said.

"Oh no, Ash is onto his last Pokemon." Misty said worried.

"Return Infernape. Great job, take a nice rest." Ash said.

"I choose you, Charizard!" Ash exclaimed.

The Dragon like Pokemon came out and gave out its mighty roar.

"Let's waste no time, use ice beam!" Pryce yelled.

"Counter with flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

Charizard had an overwhelming advantage over Jynx and destroyed the ice beam and hit Jynx.

"Nice job Charizard, now use dragonbreath!" Ash exclaimed.

"Use light screen!" Pryce ordered.

Jynx protected itself with the light screen and then when it got hit by Charizard's dragonbreath, it had almost no effect at all.

"Jynx, use ice beam on Charizard's wings." Pryce ordered calmly.

Jynx launched the ice beams on Charizard's wings so it could not fly.

"Oh no, Charizard, use flamethrower to melt that ice off!" Ash ordered.

"Now, slide in and use ice punch!" Pryce said.

Jynx began sliding on the ice and hit Charizard in its stomach with a powerful ice punch attack, which caused it to faint.

"Charizard is unable to battle, Jynx wins. Pryce the gym leader wins the match." The referee announced.

Ash was always disappointed when he lost a match, especially a gym match.

"Charizard return." Ash said disappointingly.

"Think about why you lost the match before you return here." Pryce advised.

Ash just walked away, leaving everyone else behind disappointed.

"Ash, wait for us!" Misty shouted as she, Brock, and Tracey chased him.

There's chapter 20. I've been receiving some feedback and a lot of it was mixing up the battles and other events. I hoped you enjoyed Ash losing, but more importantly, getting his ass kicked. Next chapter will be the rematch. How will it go? Will Ash lose again, or will he find a strategy to beat Pryce? You'll have to find out next time.

P.S. sorry for taking so long to update. Like I said earlier, it's because of school and other activities. I'll try to update as much as possible. I hope you enjoy the super bowl today. Who do you wanna win, the 49ers or the Ravens? All I know is that it's going to be a good game. Until next time, see ya!


	22. Chapter 21-Back With a Burning Vengeance

Hello everyone! It feels good to be back again! College sucks a lot. Anyway, I'm back with this chapter and I hope you'll all love it, but I think you will. So without further ado, here's chapter 21!

Chapter 21- Back With a Burning Vengeance

Ash was walking out of the gym with his hands in his pockets and his head down. It was obvious to everyone that he was disappointed that he lost against Pryce. Heck, he might even be embarrassed. The worst part of it all was he was confused why he lost so easily.

"_I don't know why we lost so easily. We trained so hard, but we lost so easily." _Ash thought.

"Come on Ash, wait up!" Brock shouted.

Ash didn't hear Brock. He was too in deep with his thoughts continuing walking away towards his two best friends and his girlfriend. But the trio eventually caught up with the sad, raven haired trainer.

"Come on Ash, say something." Misty said.

"I wanna be left alone." Ash replied.

"We gotta get your Pokemon to the Pokemon Center first." Misty ordered.

"Fine." Ash muttered.

They walked together to the Pokemon Center. Once they entered, Ash gave Nurse Joy his five Pokemon that lost in battle while Misty handed over Ash's tired and fainted Pikachu.

"They need rest for the day. You can pick them up tonight and then they'll be better." Joy said.

"Thank you Nurse Joy." Ash said still saddened by his defeat.

"Come on Ash, you gotta get over it. I know, we can spend the day at the Lake of Rage." Misty suggested.

"Yeah, that's a great idea." Tracey added.

"I guess so." Ash gave in.

They exited the Pokemon Center and made their way to the Lake of Rage.

When they made it to their destination, Ash was still feeling down about the loss. The gang had to think of a way to cheer him up. Brock came up with the perfect idea.

"Hey Ash, I'll make lunch if you stop being such a Debbie downer." Brock bribed.

Ash gave them a small grin after he heard about Brock cooking food.

"Alright, I'm a little better." Ash admitted.

"There we go. Now let's have a better time. Come on out everyone!" Tracey exclaimed.

"That's a good idea Trace!" Misty said releasing all her Pokemon.

After Tracey and Misty released their Pokemon, Brock and Ash decided to release their Pokemon as well.

"You can all go play and have fun." Brock said.

All the Pokemon spread themselves out doing their own thing. All of the water Pokemon, which were mostly own by Misty, decided to go into the lake and have a good time. Elektra wanted to stay with Misty. Most of Brocks Pokemon decided to take a nap under some trees. Tracey and Smeargle were sketching the beautiful scenery that was in front of them. Ash was watching all his Pokemon having a good time. Then he got curious.

"Hey Ivysaur, can you come here for a quick second?" Ash asked.

The Seed Pokemon obeyed and sat right next to his loyal trainer, who was relaxing next to Misty.

"I wanted to ask you why you decided to evolve. I remember that you never wanted to because you said that you don't need to evolve to prove to be strong." Ash said to Ivysaur.

Ivysaur stared at him for a second. He was right about what he said. He could make an argument that he was one of Ash's strongest Pokemon. But there was a reason why he finally decided to evolve.

"Ivy saur Ivy Ivy saur Ivysaur. Saur Ivysaur Ivy saur Ivy, Ivysaur saur Ivy." _"I guess it was at the heat of the moment. When I was in battle, I was losing and I didn't want to lose."_ Ivysaur said to his trainer.

"I understand. It doesn't matter if you win or lose a battle, I'll always be proud of you." Ash told his Pokemon.

"Ivysaur!" _"Thanks!" _Ivysaur exclaimed happily.

"You can go back and play now." Ash said happily.

Ivysaur did just that. Unaware of Ash, Misty was watching him the entire time. After the conversation, Misty just slid closer to him and pecked him on the cheek. Ash looked at her confused.

"Uh, thanks for the kiss, but why did you do that?" Ash asked.

"Well, I'm your girlfriend for one thing, so I can do that when I want. Also because of what you said to Ivysaur. That's why I love you Ash; you always care for your Pokemon and friends." Misty answered.

"Well you know I've always been like that. Ever since the beginning of my journey." Ash said.

"That is true." Misty said.

Then the two moved in closer to each other and began to kiss, which turned into a make out session for the two young adults. Elektra turned away disgusted because she didn't exactly what was going on or understood human emotions and relationships.

"Lunch is ready everyone!" Brock shouted.

"I'll come to help you Brock." Tracey responded.

Ash and Misty continued to make out until Brock put the food closer towards the couple. Ash smelled the food and decided to break away from Misty and followed the smell of the food. Misty was more than a little ticked off with Ash and Brock, but mostly Brock.

"_Thanks a lot Brock. Because of you, you made Ash choose food over me. I feel really loved now." _Misty thought as she walked up to get lunch.

Once everything was ready, the humans first fed all the Pokemon there, which there were a lot. After that they were all fed, the humans decided that it was their turn to eat. Brock decided to cook his famous beef stew, which everyone loved.

"This is great Brock!" Ash exclaimed with his mouth full of food, which also included a slap in the back of the head by Misty.

"Ash, don't talk with your mouthful!" Misty shouted.

"How many times have we heard that before?" Brock joked.

Everyone chuckled at the joke, even Ash did. As he got older, he learned how to take a joke better, which made him more of a fun guy to hang out with.

While they continued to eat, they heard some type of battle going on. They didn't need to move to it because the battle moved to them. It was a familiar face that Misty wasn't happy to see and an angry Houndoom.

"Camerupt, use rock slide!" Macy shouted.

It was indeed Macy from the Silver Conference tournament in Johto. She didn't look much different from the last time they saw her. She had the same pigtails and that "same annoying voice", according to Misty. The only real difference was she grown a little bit. She was still shorter than both Ash and Misty.

The Eruption Pokemon unleashed a barrage of rocks and launched it towards the Dark Pokemon, which hit it directly and was hit back towards the group.

"Hey, watch where you're battling!" Ash shouted.

"Is that my love Ash?!" Macy exclaimed excitedly.

Houndoom was down and was slow to get up. While he was trying to get up, Macy ran towards Ash and she was mesmerized to see her "love".

"Oh Ash, it's been too long. You look really good Ash. Are you single? We should go get lunch because you still owe me that date." Macy said lovingly.

To say Ash was shocked was an understatement. He had no idea what to do. Macy was up in Ash's personal space and holding his hands, staring at him lovingly. Misty had enough of it and decided to break it up.

"Look Ms. Pigtails, back away from Ash." Misty demanded.

"Oh, it's you, the water trainer. Are you here to stop me and Ash's love from growing?" Macy asked aggravated.

"For one thing, Ash is my boyfriend and second of all, you two never had a love connection." Misty spat angrily.

"You ended up with her? That's a real shame Ash. I would be a much better girlfriend than she could ever be." Macy bragged.

"Oh yeah, at least I don't look like a little ten year old girl!" Misty yelled.

"Ladies, ladies, can't we all just get along?" Ash and Brock asked separating the two girls from each other.

The two girls gave them a death stare, indicating that they stay out of it.

Meanwhile, Houndoom recovered and was severely beating down Macy's Camerupt.

"Oh no, Houndoom used foul play!" Brock said.

After Houndoom hit Camerupt with the powerful dark type move, Camerupt was struggling to stay up and then fainted.

"No, Camerupt!" Macy exclaimed as she ran towards her fainted Pokemon.

"I'm sorry Camerupt. I should have paid attention." Macy said apologizing to her Pokemon while putting it back in its Pokeball.

"What were you trying to do?" Tracey asked.

"I wanted to catch it and add it to my team of fire types." Macy answered.

Houndoom was once again barely standing. It looked like it was beaten up before Macy met up with it. But this Houndoom looked very familiar as well.

"Hey Ash, doesn't this Houndoom look familiar?" Brock asked.

"Yeah it does." Ash replied.

Indeed, it was the same Houndoom when they met it as a Houndour. It had the same scratch mark down its right eye and the same x scratch mark on its left cheek when they met it seven years ago.

"I wonder what it's doing here." Misty wondered.

"Well, whatever the reason, it's seriously injured and I need to treat it." Brock said.

Brock got his medical equipment out of his bag and slowly walked towards the Houndoom, hoping it wouldn't attack him. To everyone's surprise, the Houndoom let Brock walk up close to it and heal him.

"Wow, I can't believe it let Brock that close to him." Macy said.

"Well, he's a doctor and we helped him out." Ash said.

"Hey Ash, wouldn't this Houndoom be a great addition to your team against Pryce?" Misty suggested.

"Yeah, he would be, but I don't want to force it on my team if it doesn't want to. Maybe that's why he was fighting Macy." Ash answered.

"No, that Houndoom is mine!" Macy exclaimed.

"Stop it Macy!" Brock ordered. "Houndoom's too weak to battle, let alone stand up!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Brock." Macy said.

"_Yeah, you better be." _Misty thought. "Why don't we give Brock some room?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Tracey answered.

"Hey Macy, are you entering the tournament?" Ash asked.

"Of course I am. I already beat Kanto and I'm almost done Johto." Macy answered confidently.

"Same here, I lost to Pryce earlier today." Ash said.

"I'm sorry Ash. He beat me too." Macy said.

"Did he destroy you though?" Ash asked.

"No, I got to his last Pokemon." Macy answered.

"How?!" Ash asked.

"It's a secret Ash and I'll only tell if you go on a date with me." Macy answered.

"Oh no he won't!" Misty yelled.

"Oh yeah, who says so?" Macy asked the ginger haired girl angrily.

"I say so. I've had enough of you!" Misty yelled.

"Stop fighting you two!" Ash yelled.

They both stopped and just stared at him surprised. He rarely yelled or even got angry for that fact.

"Why did you yell?" Misty asked.

"I don't wanna hear you two argue anymore." Ash answered.

"Hey, how about we battle?" Macy suggested to Misty. "If I win, I get to take Ash on a date."

"And if I win, you'll tell Ash your secret to getting through Pryce's team." Misty countered.

"It's a deal." Macy replied.

Misty and Macy moved farther away from Brock so he can work on Houndoom. They agreed that it would be a one on one battle.

"Let's go Typhlosion!" Macy exclaimed.

"Perfect, go Tentacruel!" Misty exclaimed.

"Battle begin!" Tracey announced.

"Typhlosion use flamethrower!" Macy ordered.

"Counter with hydro pump!" Misty ordered.

The two powerful attacks in the middle and to everyone's surprise flamethrower completely cancelled out the hydro pump.

"That's okay Tentacruel, use toxic!" Misty ordered.

The Jellyfish Pokemon unleashed a deadly poisonous attack at Typhlosion and hit it directly.

"_Oh no, this isn't good." _Macy thought.

"Now use water pulse!" Misty ordered.

While Typhlosion was fighting off the poison, he got hit by the water pulse and got even weaker. And once again the toxic took its toll.

"I'm not giving up that easily; Typhlosion, use dig!" Macy ordered.

"Tentacruel, use hydro pump into the hole." Misty commanded.

Unfortunately for Misty, Typhlosion came out right under Tentacruel, which sent the Jellyfish Pokemon flying back. Luckily, Typhlosion was injured from the poison effects, which gave Misty an open opportunity to attack.

"Use hydro pump!" Misty ordered.

Macy knew exactly what to do.

"Use flame wheel!" Macy countered.

Tentacruel unleashed the powerful attack at the Lava Pokemon while it was charging at it. Everyone was surprised by what the result was.

"What, how is that possible?!" Misty exclaimed.

The hydro pump was launched at Typhlosion, but he was protected by his flame wheel. So the flame wheel hit Tentacruel. Even though Tentacruel wasn't hurt that badly, everyone was surprised about how Macy trained her Pokemon.

"I train my Pokemon extra hard to resist water attacks. I use flame wheel for Typhlosion as you see. His fire is too hot for water to take out right away." Macy explained.

"So that's how you were able to get so far!" Ash realized.

"Yes it was." Macy quickly answered. "Now finish this battle with a thunder fang!"

Typhlosion wanted to end the battle, but it was affected by the poison.

"Good, now use water pulse!" Misty said.

Water pules hit Typhlosion, which caused it to fly back and faint.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle, Tentacruel wins." Tracey stated.

"Yes!" Misty cheered. "That was an excellent debut!"

Tentacruel smiled and appreciated the praise it was getting from the water type trainer.

"So Macy, Misty won the battle. So you gotta show me how you got so far against Pryce." Ash said.

"Yeah I guess I do. Alright, first things first; you need to get your fire Pokemon here." Macy said.

"They're all healing up." Ash responded.

"You need to go get them then." She responded.

"I'll go with Ash." Misty said.

"Macy, we should check on Houndoom." Tracey suggested.

Misty and Ash went by to the Pokemon Center to go pick up his Pokemon, including Pikachu. While on the walk, they get into an interesting conversation.

"Hey Mist, remember when I was calling Dawn and you said you didn't like her?" Ash asked.

"Yes I do. And I knew you would bring this up." Misty responded.

"You did?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, and I do have an answer for you. I still don't trust her after the whole journal incident." Misty answered.

"I can see that, but if you don't trust her, why do you trust May or Iris? You seem cool with them." Ash said.

"Well, they've stopped hitting on you while Dawn kept trying too." Misty answered.

"Wait, Dawn was hitting on me?" Ash asked.

"Sometimes you're so hopeless." Misty joked.

"Whatever, doesn't matter though cause I'm with you and that's it." Ash answered.

With that, they walked to the Pokemon center hand in hand with both Ash and Misty relieved.

XXX

Tracey and Macy went to go check on Brock and Houndoom.

"How's Houndoom doing?" Tracey asked.

"He looks like he's 100 percent!" Brock answered positively.

Houndoom howled with cheer. It in fact was indeed was feeling a lot of better.

XXX

"Are you feeling better Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika!" (Yeah!) The electric mouse replied.

Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and began walking in front of them. Elektra did the same thing.

"Wow, they really do like each other a lot." Ash said.

"Maybe they're in love, like we are." Misty hinted.

"That's possible. You think we should set them up together?" Ash whispered so they wouldn't hear.

"I don't know. Let's wait it out first." Misty whispered back.

After picking up Ash's Pokemon, they began walking back towards the lake. The first thing they noticed was that Houndoom was feeling a lot better.

"Nice job Brock." Ash complimented.

"Thanks, it wasn't that hard to do." Brock responded.

"But what is it still doing here?" Misty asked.

"I don't know." Brock answered.

Everyone was confused on why Houndoom was still with everyone. It wasn't until Houndoom was glaring down Ash's Pikachu where they got a hint of what it wanted.

"Ash, I think Houndoom wants to travel with us with you as its trainer." Tracey observed.

Pikachu and Houndoom began talking to each other in their respective language. Pikachu got the answer everyone wanted to hear.

"Pi ka Pikachu chu Pika chu, pi ka chu Pikachu chu ka pi Pikachu." (It said it wants to travel with us, but wants to see if you're a good trainer).

"Okay, you ready buddy?" Ash asked his loyal Pokemon.

Pikachu and Houndoom took their battle stances, getting ready for battle. Houndoom started the battle with a flamethrower attack.

"Dodge it and use thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu was easily able to dodge the flamethrower and unleash a powerful thunderbolt attack on the Dark Pokemon, which weakened it.

But Houndoom wasn't going to lose that easily, it came back with an even more powerful fire blast.

"Dodge it!" Ash shouted.

Unfortunately, Pikachu wasn't able to dodge the fire blast and was sent back right in front of Ash. And to make matters even worse, Houndoom was going in for the kill with a crunch attack. But Ash had an idea he remembered from Sinnoh.

"Pikachu, use the thunderbolt counter shield!" Ash commanded.

While it was still lying on the ground, Pikachu began by unleashing it's thunderbolt and spinning on the ground, executing the technique he learned while on his travels with Dawn and Brock in Sinnoh. The result was Houndoom getting shocked by the thunderbolt and ended up on its back.

"What was that Ash?!" Misty asked.

"It was the counter shield. Ash learned to use it while on our journey in Sinnoh. Dawn helped him develop it." Brock answered for Ash.

"Now Pikachu, finish him with iron tail!" Ash shouted.

After Pikachu finished with his counter shield, he jumped up in the air, did a couple of flips and hit Houndoom with the iron tail.

The result of that was Houndoom lying on the ground waiting for Ash to catch him.

"Pokeball go!" Ash exclaimed tossing the pokeball.

Once the pokeball made contact with Houndoom, he was engulfed by a beam of red light and the ball began to shake. It wasn't as fast as everyone thought it would be. It began to slow down and stopped, indicating that Ash caught him.

"Alright, come back out Houndoom!" Ash exclaimed releasing his previous capture.

The Dark Pokemon looked up at his new master determined to do whatever he asked.

"Welcome to the team Houndoom. Let's have you meet everyone else." Ash said.

Ash released the rest of his fire Pokemon to introduce them to Houndoom. They all had their meet and greet and accepted him right away. Houndoom also accepted them, especially Charizard, since he was the strongest.

"Everyone, this is Houndoom and he's the new addition to the team. Now Macy and Misty, let's get down to training!" Ash exclaimed.

As promised, Macy would show Ash how to protect the fire type Pokemon how to engulf themselves with fire without hurting themselves. Ash also remembered that Infernape also used the counter shield.

Everyone went through a long and rigorous day of training. There was more than the physical training. It was also the mental training for coming up with other new moves and counters.

It was night time and Ash gave the six fire types to Nurse Joy to check on. Then Ash and Misty went to their rooms and were getting ready to go to bed.

"You coming Ash?" Misty asked.

"I'm gonna take a shower first." Ash answered.

"Okay." Misty responded.

Ash was by himself in the bathroom. So he took off his clothes, turned on the hot water, and stepped into the shower. As he was cleaning himself, he noticed that the hot water was steaming and the whole bathroom was getting steamy. Ash was beginning to formulate another idea for his gym battle. He began to laugh sort of maniacally. Misty heard his laugh so she decided to walk in and check on Ash.

"Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm more than okay." Ash responded chuckling.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked.

"I have another idea of how I'm going to beat Pryce tomorrow." Ash stated proudly.

"And what would that be?" Misty asked.

"Hold on and wait outside. I'm done and I need to get changed." Ash said.

Misty left so that Ash could get changed. Just because they were eighteen, doesn't mean that they're comfortable seeing each other naked. They were both virgins and the thought of them doing that disgusted them both.

So Ash changed into his pajamas and walked out of the steamy bathroom.

"You see the steam in the bathroom?" Ash asked Misty.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?" Misty asked.

"It has everything to do with it. I'm going to steam up the battlefield so Pryce and his Pokemon won't be able to see the arena. And that's when I'll attack." Ash answered confidently.

Misty thought about his idea.

"That's a really good idea Ash. I'm impressed." Misty concluded.

"Thanks babe, now let's get to bed." Ash said.

"Night Ashy." Misty teased then kissed him on the cheek.

"Night Mist." Ash answered doing the same.

The next morning, Ash and the gang, plus Macy to Misty's disliking, got up relatively early. They all had their breakfasts and walked towards the gym.

"Let's do this." Ash said out loud confidently before walking in the gym.

Ash took his place on his battlefield and stared down the familiar looking Pryce while everyone took their seats on the sidelines.

"So your back already; I hope you're ready to lose again." Pryce said.

"That's not happening." Ash countered.

"It's the same rules as last time. Go Beartic!" Pryce exclaimed.

"Perfect, go Infernape!" Ash exclaimed with the same enthusiasm.

The Flame Pokemon and the Freezing Pokemon stared each other down ready to battle. Infernape was grinning on the battlefield and it didn't go unnoticed.

"It looks like Infernape is really confident." Tracey observed.

"It should be. It did a great job going through my training along with Ash's other Pokemon. He should be able to beat Beartic easily." Macy bragged.

"He can't get too cocky though. If he does, he'll lose again." Brock advised.

"Let's stop talking and do more cheering! Go Ash and Infernape!" Misty cheered.

Pikachu and Elektra began to cheer for the trainer as well.

"Make the first move." Ash offered.

"Eager to lose I see. Beartic, end him with a hydro pump." Pryce ordered.

Beartic unleashed the powerful water type attack. That was what Ash wanted him to do. Ash couldn't help but smile.

"Infernape, use flame wheel and charge at him!" Ash ordered.

Infernape surrounded himself in flaming ball of fire and began running towards Beartic. The water hit Infernape, but felt no damage and kept running through the hydro pump. Ash saw the look on Pryce's face.

"What, how is that possible?!" Pryce asked.

Infernape made his way through the hydro pump and inflicted a lot of damage on Beartic. Infernape jumped back to his side of the field and Beartic had one knee on the ground.

"Quick, use mach punch!" Ash ordered.

"Dip and use ice punch!" Pryce countered.

Infernape was quick, especially while using mach punch, but because of the ice slowing him down, he wasn't able to hit Beartic, but Ash knew this.

"Now use flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

Infernape unleashed a streak of fire at point blank range on Beartic before his ice punch even made contact. After the flame has cleared, Beartic was barely standing but still willing to battle.

"Beartic, use ice beam on Infernape's feet." Pryce ordered angrily.

"Use flame wheel to protect yourself." Ash said.

Once again, Infernape engulfed himself in a ball of fire. The ice beam hit the ball of fire and immediately steamed the entire battlefield. Ash couldn't help but grin because this is what he wanted the entire time.

"You know what to do Infernape." Ash simply said.

Once Infernape heard, he listened to Ash's command. Meanwhile on the sidelines, everyone was really impressed on how well Ash was doing.

"I wonder what Ash meant by that." Tracey said.

"I think I have an idea." Misty answered.

Once the field was cleared and now visible, Infernape was nowhere to be seen. Pryce was getting really angry.

"_He must have used dig while the field was covered." _Pryce thought.

Next thing he knew, Infernape came up right under Beartic and hit it clean with a dig attack, which knocked it out.

"Beartic is unable to battle, Infernape wins!" The referee announced.

The sidelines were going crazy for Ash's first and impressive victory.

"Way to go Ash!" Misty and Macy cheered. Once they heard each other, they glared at each other. Everyone, including Ash, sweat dropped.

"Return Beartic." Pryce said. "That was an impressive performance, but you won't beat my next Pokemon. Go Froslass!" He exclaimed.

"Who's that Pokemon?" Misty asked.

"It's a Froslass, a very powerful ice and ghost type Pokemon. Ash faced Paul's Froslass a couple years ago in the Silver of the Valley Conference." Brock explained.

"That was the Pokemon I lost to at the end." Macy added.

"Infernape, take a break." Ash said as he returned the Flame Pokemon into his Pokeball.

"Why did he do that? Infernape was doing great." Misty wondered.

"You'll see why." Brock said.

"Go Houndoom!" Ash said.

The Dark Pokemon came out and took his battle stance facing the Snow Land Pokemon.

"Go Froslass, you know what to do." Pryce said calmly.

The battlefield was getting snowy and then eventually Froslass disappeared into the mist.

"Oh no, where's Froslass?" Misty asked nervously.

"It's using its special ability called snow cloak. The area becomes surrounded in mist and it blends right in there. I couldn't hit it once." Macy answered annoyingly.

"That isn't good. How's Ash going to hit it then by using Houndoom?" Misty asked.

"I guess we'll have to see." Tracey said.

"Houndoom, use flamethrower all over the air." Ash ordered.

Houndoom obliged and unleashed a barrage of flamethrowers into the air hoping to hit Froslass, which was invisible to Ash and Houndoom. Pryce knew where he was however.

"Now Froslass, use shadow ball." Pryce commanded.

Froslass was at the south west location of where Houndoom was positioned and unleashed a powerful shadow ball attack. It hit Houndoom, but he didn't feel it that much.

"Hit it now!" Ash ordered quickly.

Houndoom turned to where it had been hit and unleashed a flamethrower, but unfortunately, he missed his target again. Then Froslass appeared right in front of Houndoom.

"Hit it now." Pryce ordered.

"Hit it back with flamethrower!" Ash quickly responded.

As soon as Froslass unleashed the shadow ball, Houndoom unleashed a flamethrower to hit it back. Froslass got hit by both attacks and the mist around the battlefield disappeared.

"Perfect; use crunch Houndoom!" Ash ordered.

Houndoom jumped into the air and chomped down on the already weak Froslass.

"Now finish it off with a fire blast!" Ash exclaimed.

Houndoom spat the fire from its mouth and changed the formation into the Chinese symbol for fire before hitting Froslass, which would wind up being the final blow.

"Froslass is unable to battle, Houndoom wins!" The referee announced.

"Return Froslass." Pryce said angrily. "You're doing very well."

"Thanks." Ash replied calmly.

"Go Weavile!" Pryce said unleashing the Sharp Claw Pokemon.

"Houndoom, end this quickly with a flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

"Dodge it and use slash!" Pryce responded.

Weavile dodged the flamethrower and skated across the battlefield and hit Houndoom with a powerful slash attack.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked his Pokemon.

He simply nodded.

"Okay, use crunch!" Ash ordered.

"Counter with another slash!" Pryce countered.

Houndoom moved in to crunch down on Weavile, but it missed and Weavile hit Houndoom with another slash attack, seemingly to do more damage than last time. Houndoom tried to stay up, but it landed onto the ground fainted.

"Houndoom is unable to battle, Weavile is the winner." The referee announced.

"Return Houndoom, great job." Ash said as Houndoom was absorbed by the red light of the pokeball.

"Who's he gonna use now?" Macy asked.

"We'll have to wait and see." Brock answered plainly.

"Pignite, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.

The Fire Pig Pokemon came out and was ready to battle. Although he didn't lose to Weavile, he wanted payback against Pryce.

"Use ice beam!" Pryce ordered.

Ash grinned. He picked Pignite for a reason.

"Use flame charge." Ash replied calmly.

Pignite began running in place and then he was swallowed by fire as he used his move to dodge the ice beam and charge directly at Weavile. Pryce couldn't make Weavile dodge the attack on time. Weavile then ended up on its back and defenseless against the next attack.

"Finish it off with brick break!" Ash shouted.

Pignite jumped into the air and hit Weavile with its arm to finish it off. The result was Weavile lying down with swirls in its eyes indicating it fainted.

"Weavile is unable to battle, Pignite is the winner. Since Pryce lost three Pokemon, we'll have a 15 minute break." The referee announced.

Ash went to his little cheering section and he was certainly getting praise for his performance.

"You're doing great Ash!" Misty and Macy complimented simultaneously. They again glared at each other, which caused Ash and everyone else to sweat drop.

"Uh, thanks girls." Ash replied.

"Who do you think he's going to use next?" Tracey asked.

"I don't know. I know I'm going to give Pignite a little break." Ash answered.

"Don't get too cocky Ash. Just because you have more Pokemon than him now, doesn't mean that he can't make a comeback." Brock informed.

"Okay, I think this break is going to give him an advantage. It'll calm him down and he'll have a strategy. I just have to hit him back harder." Ash told everyone.

Misty just listened in awe. She knew Ash was always his best when he was battling, but she's never seen this part of Ash. To her, he really matured over the years. Sure she still liked to picture him as a snobby, cocky, hard headed kid sometimes because she fell in love with that Ash. But she loved him even more now because he was actually being smart now and not just walked in.

"Would the trainers please return to the battlefield?" The referee requested.

"Go get him Ash. You're going to win this battle." Misty encouraged.

"Thanks Mist; that's all I need to win." Ash replied with a wink.

Ash and Pryce returned to the battlefield, staring each other down getting ready for round two.

"Go Abomasnow!" Pryce shouted.

"I choose you, Quilava!" Ash shouted.

"Use blizzard!" Pryce ordered.

"Protect yourself with flame wheel!" Ash countered.

The blizzard was going straight towards Quilava, but the Volcano Pokemon was protected by his flame wheel.

"Now charge towards Abomasnow with the flame wheel." Ash ordered.

Quilava began running towards the Frost Tree Pokemon while protected by the flame wheel. Quilava was getting closer and closer and looked like he was going to hit it.

Pryce was expecting this, which caused him to grin.

"Woodhammer." Pryce ordered calmly.

Just before Quilava hit Abomasnow, the Frost Tree Pokemon hit the Volcano Pokemon with the powerful attack, causing it to end the flame wheel and stop it right in his tracks, which completely surprised Ash and everyone else.

"What, how?!" Ash said stunned.

"Stunned now are you?" Pryce asked.

Quilava was slowly rising back on its fours looking up at the gigantic tree Pokemon. It was like the school bully on the playground.

"Finish off Quilava with blizzard." Pryce commanded.

Abomasnow stretched its arms forward and created another blizzard attack at Quilava, which couldn't dodge the attack and fainted.

"Quilava is unable to battle, Abomasnow wins." The referee announced.

"Return." Ash said disappointedly. "You did your best."

"Let's go Ash, you're not done yet." Misty cheered from the sideline.

"I can easily surpass your power with this Pokemon. I choose you, Charizard!" Ash exclaimed.

The dragon like Flame Pokemon came out of its Pokeball with a ferocious roar which sort of intimidated Abomasnow.

"This shouldn't take long now. Use flamethrower!" Ash yelled.

"Counter with ice beam." Pryce replied.

Charizard unleashed his flamethrower and Abomasnow unleashed his ice beam at the same time. When the two attacks met in the middle, Charizard's flamethrower easily dominated the ice beam and hit the Frost Tree Pokemon.

"Now get in there and finish it off with fire fang!" Ash ordered.

"Defend yourself with ice punch!" Pryce commanded.

Charizard quickly flew across the field and go for the knockout, but Abomasnow punched Charizard in the mouth. Charizard was holding on for dear life while Abomasnow was trying to get out of his grip.

"Now toss him up in the air and use seismic toss!" Ash shouted.

Charizard was somehow able to toss up Abomasnow into the air just enough to catch him. He then flew up, spun around in the air three times and then flew towards the ground and threw him towards the ground finishing up the move. The result was a fainted Abomasnow.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle, Charizard wins." The referee announced.

"Nice job Ash!" Tracey shouted.

"Way to go!" Misty shouted.

Pryce then returned the fainted Frost Tree Pokemon into his Pokeball.

"Go Jynx!" He shouted angrily.

"Charizard take a break." Ash ordered, returning him into his Pokeball. "Go Torkoal!"

"Use psychic." Pryce said.

"Use flamethrower on the battlefield." Ash ordered.

Torkoal unleashed the flamethrower across the battlefield to cover the field up in mist, hoping that Jynx wouldn't be able to see him. Unfortunately, he was wrong as he saw Torkoal being lifted up and thrown by the psychic attack.

"Use lovely kiss." Pryce ordered.

"Iron defense." Ash countered.

Jynx pressed her lips towards Torkoal, but Torkoal hid under its shell and avoided the attack.

"Now use heat wave." Ash ordered.

Torkoal popped out of his shell and quickly hit Jynx with a flamethrower.

"Now jump up and use body slam!" Ash ordered.

Torkoal jumped into the air going to body slam the defenseless Jynx.

"Quick use shadow ball." Pryce ordered.

"Don't let it. Use overheat!" Ash shouted.

Jynx was lying on the ground looking up at Torkoal, who was going to land on her. So she began to power up her shadow ball and unleash it, but Torkoal unleashed his overheat attack and they collided causing smoke. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were lying on the icy floor unconscious.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle." The referee announced.

"Return." They both said in unison.

"That was really epic." Tracey said.

"Who's Pryce's last Pokemon?" Misty asked.

"I don't know, but Ash will beat it." Misty said.

"I don't know. Although he has three Pokemon, they all battled and are somewhat tired. Pryce's last Pokemon will most likely be his most powerful." Brock said.

"Let's finish this Pignite!" Ash said.

"I've saved the best for last. I choose you, Mamoswine!" Pryce yelled.

The Fire Pig Pokemon and the Twin Tusk Pokemon glared at each other; both were ready for battle.

"Use earthquake!" Pryce ordered.

Mamoswine lifted its front feet and stomped on the ice field, causing the entire building to shake.

"Wwwwwwoooowwww, ttthhhhaaatssss aaa powwwwwwerfullllll earrrrrrrrthquaaaaake." Macy said while the earthquake was happening.

Pignite was taking a lot of damage. Ash had to think fast.

"Jump into the air and use brick break!" Ash said.

Pignite jumped into the air and his right arm was glowing white. He landed the hit perfectly on Mamoswine.

"Trap Pignite in and use mud bomb!" Pryce ordered.

Mamoswine used his two tusks to contain Pignite and not let the Fire Pig escape. Then he unleashed a mud bomb at point blank range.

"Pignite, are you okay?!" Ash shouted concerned about his Pokemon.

Pignite was struggling to stay up.

"Finish him with a blizzard." Pryce ordered.

Mamoswine unleashed a powerful snowstorm at the defenseless fire pig Pokemon, causing it to faint.

"Pignite is unable to battle, Mamoswine wins." The referee announced.

"Return Pignite. Great job, you did your best." Ash said.

"Oh no, this isn't good." Misty said out loud.

"Infernape, I choose you!" Ash said.

"End this battle with earthquake." Pryce ordered.

"Use mach punch." Ash countered.

Before Mamoswine hit the ground unleashing a powerful earthquake, Infernape skated across the field and hit the Twin Tusk Pokemon, causing it damage and to move back a couple feet.

"Now use flame wheel!" Ash ordered.

Infernape engulfed himself into a ball of fire and charged towards Mamoswine. Pryce knew how to counter it.

"Use mud bomb!" Pryce ordered.

Mamoswine charged and released a mud bomb attack right at the flaming ball of fire that Infernape was in. Once the ground attack hit it, the fire went out and Infernape was found on the ground struggling to get up.

"Come on Infernape, get up. I know you can do it." Ash encouraged.

Infernape did just that. He got up and determined to win.

"Now use dig!" Ash said.

Infernape began to dig a hole and was underground. Pryce couldn't help but grin. Brock realized that this was a mistake on Ash's part.

"Use earthquake!" Pryce ordered.

Mamoswine stomped heavily on the ground, causing the whole building to shake up again. But Infernape had it the worst since it was underground. The ground was shaking and Infernape couldn't escape. Eventually the earthquake forced Infernape back onto the battlefield fainted.

"Infernape is unable to battle, Mamoswine wins." The referee announced.

"Return Infernape. You did great." Ash said.

"Oh no, now he only has Charizard. This isn't good." Tracey said.

"I choose you, Charizard!" Ash shouted releasing his final Pokemon to the field.

Charizard stared down Mamoswine angrily. Ash knew that Charizard was tired from his earlier battle, but he also knew that Pignite and Infernape tired out Mamoswine a great deal.

"Charizard, use flamethrower!" Ash ordered.

"Counter it with mud bomb!" Pryce countered.

Charizard released his flamethrower and Mamoswine released a barrage of mud bombs. The attacks met in the middle and cancelled each other out. Pryce now smiled because he had the perfect strategy.

"Mamoswine use earthquake." Pryce said confidently.

Everyone on the sideline was confused on the order Pryce gave.

"Why did he use earthquake?" Macy asked.

"I don't know, but he must have a strategy if he's doing something like that." Brock answered to the best of his ability.

"Charizard, fly up!" Ash said.

Charizard took flight dodging the earthquake. Pryce had him right where he wanted him.

"Mamoswine, use ancientpower!" Pryce ordered.

"Charizard dodge it!" Ash countered.

Charizard dodged the first barrage of rocks flying at him.

"Keep at it Mamoswine!" Pryce ordered.

"Keep dodging them!" Ash ordered.

Ash watched Charizard dodge the barrage of rocks being hurled at the Flame Pokemon. He suddenly remembered being in a similar situation some years ago against his rival/friend Gary Oak. That's when he smiled and figured out his counter strategy.

"Use flamethrower on the battlefield!" Ash exclaimed.

Charizard obliged and began to burn the icy battlefield. After a couple minutes, the battlefield was beginning to burn and it started to get hot in the building.

"Why is it so hot in here?" Macy asked.

Misty and Brock realized what he was doing and began to smile and cheer.

"Nice job Ash!" Misty cheered.

"Ash did this strategy before against Gary at the Silver Conference. Do you remember now Macy?" Brock asked.

"Oh yeah, I do now." Macy answered.

Pryce finally figured out what he was doing and was getting nervous when he saw Mamoswine in pain.

"_Oh no, he burned the field knowing that Mamoswine would stop the attacking because of the pain. I need to kill this heat." _Pryce thought. "Mamoswine, use rain dance!"

Mamoswine formed a rain cloud over the field and it began to rain on the field. It started to get steamy and soon the entire field was covered with mist. No one knew where Mamoswine was while Charizard was still flying in the air.

"Use ancientpower!" Pryce ordered.

A barrage of large rocks came out of the mist and hit Charizard directly. After taking the hits, he fell to the ground. Then the mist cleared and both Pokemon were struggling to get back up.

"Come on Charizard, I know you can get up!" Ash encouraged.

"Let's go Mamoswine!" Pryce encouraged.

Both Pokemon struggled to get up, but they did.

Out of nowhere, Charizard had an adrenaline rush and began to fly. Charizard flew around for a few seconds, than a blue form of energy began surrounding Charizard as he was charging at Mamoswine. There could only be one explanation: Charizard was learning a new move.

"Wow, who thought Charizard could get even stronger?" Misty said.

Everyone agreed with that statement. Ash and Pryce knew what the move was.

"Finish Mamoswine off with dragon rush!" Ash exclaimed.

"Dragon rush?" Misty asked.

When Charizard charged at Mamoswine surrounded by blue energy in the form of a dragon. When he made contact, there was one final explosion in the middle of the field. There was nothing that Pryce could do but watch. Once the smoke cleared, Mamoswine was on the ground fainted.

"Mamoswine is unable to battle, Charizard wins. Which means the winner is Ash Ketchum!" The referee announced.

"Alright, way to go Charizard!" Ash cheered.

Charizard celebrated by unleashing flamethrowers. Everyone on the sidelines came up to Ash to congratulate him on the hard fought victory.

"That was an awesome battle Ash!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Way to go on the victory Ash!" Macy cheered.

Misty glared at her for a second. Then she got a devilish idea.

"You were awesome out there Ash." Misty said seductively.

Then she pulled Ash in for a passionate kiss, which Ash was very happy to return. This made Macy very jealous and mad. She decided she had enough and just walked out of the gym. Misty broke it off once she knew that Macy left.

"Uh, I think you made your point." Ash said shocked.

"Good, now she'll know not to mess with me." Misty replied then giggled.

Pryce then came up to the group.

"Congratulations on your victory Ash. It was a very tough battle. Not only are your Pokemon powerful, you have a special bond with them. So with that said, here's the Glacier badge." Pryce said handing the badge to Ash.

"Thank you very much. Alright, I got the Glacier badge!" Ash celebrated while doing his famous victory pose.

Finally, there's chapter 21! I know it's a very long chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. A lot happened in this chapter. From meeting up with Macy to him catching the Houndoom that used to be a Houndour, and the rematch with Pryce. With that, I have a few questions for you readers. Do you like the longer chapters like this or do you like the shorter chapters? Do you want Hoenn and Sinnoh to have long story arcs like Kanto or Johto or do you want them relatively short, like 3-5 chapters? Johto will be over next chapter. This chapter took me this whole week, so I hope you enjoy it. Rates and reviews are appreciated.

P.S.- I really kinda want you to answer the questions to ask because I'm having a little trouble with the Hoenn and Sinnoh arcs in terms of length because I want to get to the tournament but not without the two other regions.


	23. Chapter 22- Return to the Indigo Plateau

This is the conclusion of Johto. Also, I've come up with my decision with the Hoenn and Sinnoh arcs, but I'll tell you after this chapter. So without further ado, here's chapter 22!

Chapter 22- Return to the Indigo Plateau

Ash and the gang left Pryce's gym in a much happier mood than they did the first time. Now they were walking to the Pokemon Center and deciding what to do now.

"Where should we go next, the Indigo League or Pallet Town?" Ash asked the group.

"I think we should go to Pallet Town and see everyone again." Misty answered.

"I agree with her." Tracey responded.

"Same." Brock replied.

"I guess it's settled then. Pallet Town, here we come!" Ash exclaimed.

"(Oh Yeah!)" Pikachu exclaimed with Ash.

"How about we go heal your Pokemon first?" Brock suggested.

"Oh yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Ash laughed sheepishly.

XXX

Jessie, James, and Meowth kept doing the job that they were told to do by Giovanni and Domino. They were in disguise sitting on a bench watching them walk past them into the Pokemon Center.

"Jessie reporting in, Ash Ketchum just got his second badge in Johto." Jessie said.

"Alright excellent, thank you for the report. Do you know if it's his first time?" Domino asked.

"I do, this was his second time facing Pryce." Jessie answered.

"Interesting, so Pryce gave him some trouble then I assume?" Domino asked.

"Yes he did, but he made adjustments." Jessie answered.

"That doesn't matter. We have some important data now." Domino replied.

"Alright then; Jessie out." She replied.

Jessie turned off the communicator to talk to James and Meowth.

"So it looks like the higher uppers will deal with the twerp." James guessed.

"That's what it looks like." Jessie replied.

"This is so boring dough." Meowth said.

"I agree; I think it's time we did something." James said.

"Yeah, but what?" Jessie asked.

"We steal the twerps Pokemon." James answered.

"How are we gonna do dat when Giovanni and Domino said not to?" Meowth asked.

"I have the perfect plan." James simply answered.

XXX

It's been 20 minutes since they've been in the Pokemon Center and Ash gave Nurse Joy his Pokemon. After Ash got his Pokemon back, they decided it was time to head out.

"We should get going if we're going to make it today." Tracey suggested.

"I'm going to call them first and let them know we're coming." Ash said.

"That's a good idea. I'm going to call the gym and see how they're doing." Misty said.

"I might as well make some phone calls as well." Brock said.

Luckily for them, there were three videophones for each of them to use. So they each got onto a phone and began to make their calls.

Ash started with his mother.

"Hey mom." Ash said.

"Hey Ash, how's your journey going?" She asked.

"It's going great mom. I just got done Johto so I'm heading home soon. Hopefully we'll be there by tonight." He answered.

"Oh, that's excellent sweetie. I can't wait to see you. I wish I could talk more, but I gotta go to Professor Oaks now. I'll see you soon." Delia informed her son.

"Okay, bye mom." Ash replied.

Ash got up, indicating that he was finished with his phone call while everyone else was still on the phone.

"Hey Misty! How's it going?" Daisy asked answering the phone.

"Oh hey Daisy, I wasn't expecting you to answer. It's going really well. We're actually about to head home. How was your trip?" Misty replied.

"Our trip was boring. You know same old things with the modeling and all that. I wanted to ask you about Tracey." Daisy responded.

"Oh yeah, what about Tracey. Are you actually going to listen to my advice for once?" Misty asked.

"Yes I actually am. I think he would be something different." Daisy answered.

"Good, I'm glad you're actually considering listening to me." Misty replied.

"Hey, don't expect it too often. Is he with you?" Daisy asked.

"Yes he is; do you wanna see him?" Misty replied.

"No, not now, I don't look my best." Daisy screeched.

"Jeez, okay then. So is Lola still running the gym or did you give her a break?" Misty asked.

"No, she's still battling and still winning. She's still undefeated from what she told me." Daisy answered.

"Wow, at this rate, no one will ever win the Cascade badge." Misty said.

"Yeah, seriously; I think we should give her a break and I should battling." Daisy suggested.

"That would be a proper thank you. Alright, we're going to start on our way home. I'll see you soon. And I'll bring Tracey over for you." Misty said winking at her.

"Misty stop, you're like, embarrassing me." Daisy begged.

Misty just laughed and then hung up the phone. She then saw Ash and decided to hang out with him. Brock was talking to Forrest.

"Hey Forrest and dad, how's the gym going?" Brock asked.

"Not too well; I'm on a bit of a losing streak." Forrest replied.

"That's terrible; how many battles did you lose?" Brock asked.

"Three in a row." Forrest replied dully.

"Hey, it's okay. We all have our little losing streaks. You just gotta keep battling and believing in your Pokemon and then you're bound for a win sooner or later." Brock encouraged.

Forrest grew a smile on his face. If there was one person who knew what to say to make him feel better, it was Brock.

"Thanks Brock, I'm going to go train now." Forrest said.

"Good luck; I'll see ya soon." Brock replied and then hung up the phone.

"Alright, are we all done here?" Tracey asked.

"Yeah, we're good. What time is it?" Ash asked.

"It's 11:00 am; we should get going now if we're going to make it by tonight." Brock informed.

"Alright, let's get going!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hold on, we need to get another flying Pokemon for Brock." Misty said.

"No problem; let me call the professor." Tracey said.

Tracey went to the phone and called the professor.

"Oh hey Tracey, how's it going?" Oak asked.

"It's going good. We're actually going to head back to Pallet today and was wondering if you can send us Pidgeot." Tracey asked.

"Of course; I'll see you later today." Oak said as he put the Pokeball into the transport machine.

"Got it, thanks Professor. See ya soon." Tracey replied as he hung up the phone.

Tracey went back to the group and informed them that he got Pidgeot. They all headed outside and released Pidgeot, Fearow, and Charizard. Ash and Misty got on Charizard's back, Brock got on Pidgeot's back, and Tracey got onto his Fearow's back.

"Alright, to Pallet we go!" Ash exclaimed.

The three flying Pokemon took off and headed off South East to New Bark Town.

It took them about five hours for them to get to New Bark Town from Mahogany Town. No one was surprised that Ash wanted to eat.

"Guys, we should get something to eat. I'm starving!" Ash complained.

"I guess we can't blame you. We're all hungry." Tracey said.

"Here, I got some rice balls to hold us off until we get to Pallet Town." Brock said.

Brock then pulled out 12 rice balls from his bag and the group stopped to eat their snacks. They all had their 3 rice balls and as usual, Ash destroyed his rice balls in record time.

"Wow Ash, I'm surprised you haven't choked yet." Misty joked.

"Other than Pokemon training and battling, I'm a pro at eating food." Ash responded.

"Yeah, that's for sure." Tracey agreed.

After their brief snack break, they continued to walk to Pallet Town. It took them about another two hours for them to make it to Pallet Town.

"Wow, I thought we would be here later than we did." Brock said.

"Well, it is kinda late. It's 6:00 pm." Tracey responded.

"It definitely helps when you don't run into Team Rocket or have Ash leading us." Misty joked.

"Hey that doesn't matter now because we're home now! Let's go Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed.

"(Yeah!)" The yellow mouse exclaimed.

Ash and Pikachu began to sprint towards his home town and leaving everyone in the dust.

"We should be used to this by now." Brock joked.

"Well let's hurry up and catch up." Misty replied.

So now everyone was trying to catch up to Ash.

XXX

They eventually caught up with Ash at the front door. As expected, they were all exhausted and somehow Ash still had plenty of energy. Ash just barged right into his own house while his friends follow behind them.

"Mom, I'm home!" Ash exclaimed.

"Ash, it's great to see you again!" Delia exclaimed while bear hugging her son.

"It's… great… to… see… you… too… mom…" Ash said to the best of his ability.

"I think you're killing him, Mrs. Ketchum." Misty said.

"Oh, sorry dear." Delia said as she released him. "It's nice to see you Brock and Tracey."

"Hello Mrs. Ketchum." Brock and Tracey replied.

"I just got finished desert, so whoever wants some, come in the kitchen." Delia said.

"Oh yeah, you know I'm there!" Ash exclaimed.

"Of course you would." Misty joked.

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey all made their way to the kitchen and began eating the food.

After a couple hours, they were all completely full. Even though it was only 8:00 pm, they all decided to go to bed early. Ash and Misty shared his room with Pikachu and Brock and Tracey shared the spare room.

XXX

The next morning, Delia was the first one to wake up at her usual time at 6 am and attended her usual chores of cooking breakfast and tending to her garden.

The next ones to wake up were Brock and Tracey an hour later. They did their normal morning routine and then went downstairs to see that Delia was already up and about and already made breakfast for them.

Misty was thinking about waking up early at 8 am today, but she was too comfortable in Ash's grasp and the blanket was too comfortable as well. Pikachu was also too comfy to wake up.

It wasn't until 10 am that they decided to wake up. Ash and Misty got up, put on their usual attire, did their morning routine, and went downstairs to meet everyone.

"Hey their sleepyheads." Delia greeted.

"Did you get enough rest sleeping beauties?" Brock joked.

"Look at Brock coming at us with jokes." Ash countered playfully.

"I have an idea, let's eat breakfast and get to the lab today." Tracey suggested.

"Yeah, I agree with Tracey. But let's let Ash eat breakfast first before his stomach uses a roar attack and scares the Pokemon." Misty joked.

"Wow Mist that was a good one right there." Ash complimented.

Everyone laughed at the joke and let Ash eat breakfast.

After breakfast, they all decided to head down towards Professor Oak's lab. Today was going to be a training day for Ash and all of his Pokemon. Even though he would only use three against whomever he'd want to challenge at the Indigo Plateau. He showed up at the lab ready to see all his Pokemon.

"Hello Ash, it's good to see you again. Please come in all of you." Oak greeted.

Everyone came through the lab and into the back where all the Pokemon are. Ash was excited to see all of his Pokemon again.

"Hey guys, it's good to see you all again!" Ash exclaimed.

Once they heard the black haired trainer's voice, they all came charging at him. The lighter ones dog piled him.

"It's great to see you." Ash laughed out as he was being playfully attacked by his Pokemon.

They eventually all got up and released his other nine Pokemon from the Pokeballs. They were all happy to see each other again as well.

"So Ash, who are you going to challenge against the Johto elite four?" Oak asked.

"I don't know; who's in the Johto elite four?" Ash asked.

"I believe its Bruno, who you've already faced, Koga, who uses poison types, Will, who uses psychic types, and Karen, who uses dark types." Oak answered.

"So who are you going to face then Ash?" Misty asked.

"I don't know. They all sound tough. I think I want to face Karen." Ash answered.

"That'll sure be an interesting match." Tracey said.

"Yeah, she's got some powerful dark type Pokemon. Who are you going to use?" Brock asked.

"I don't know. I wanna use someone I didn't use yet." Ash answered.

"How about you use Heracross, who is super effective against dark types, and you haven't used Glalie and Kingler for quite some time." Oak suggested.

The three Pokemon moved up closest to the group of people at the sound of their names and chanted, indicating that they wanted to battle.

"It sounds like you all want to battle. So I guess I'll be using you three then." Ash concluded.

Heracross, Kingler, and Glalie all cheered in excitement.

"Alright everyone, like I said before, you'll all have a chance to battle. So we're all going to have a tough training session today." Ash said to all his Pokemon.

Everyone released all their Pokemon and began their tough training together.

XXX

After a tough and successful day of training, they were all exhausted. The training included some battling, target practice, speed, and power training. Some of their Pokemon evolved during their training, including Brock's Marshtomp, who is now a very powerful Swampert, and Misty's Seadra, who was a Kingdra, and Ash's Bayleef and Corphish, who was now a Meganium and a Crawdaunt.

"That was a great day of training." Ash said.

"It was, now let's get to bed." Misty begged.

"Before you go, when are you leaving to face Karen?" Oak asked.

"I was planning on leaving tomorrow." Ash answered.

"Good; let me know how the battle goes." Oak said.

"Wait Tracey, are you coming with us tomorrow?" Brock asked.

"Yeah sure, I'll stay here at the lab tonight and leave with you guys tomorrow." Tracey answered.

"We'll see ya then Tracey. Good night." Misty said.

"Good night everyone." Tracey shouted.

Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Misty left the Oak ranch happy, but very exhausted. It was late at night, so they decided to go to bed as soon as they got back to Ash's house.

XXX

The next morning, everyone, including Ash, got up exceptionally early at 7 am. After they all went through their ritual morning routines, they all went downstairs as they saw breakfast made. Once they had their food, they said their goodbyes to Mrs. Ketchum and walked to Oak's ranch to pick up Tracey.

"Hey Tracey you ready to go?" Ash asked.

"Yup, sure am. Are we going to fly there?" Tracey asked.

"Of course we are. It's the fastest way isn't it?" Misty answered for Ash.

The four all got ready as they took their normal positions on the same flying Pokemon they usually use. Tracey said his goodbye to Professor Oak, even though they all would be back soon.

"Back to the Indigo Plateau we go!" Ash exclaimed.

With that, Charizard, Fearow, and Staraptor all flew in the direction towards the home of the Pokemon League and the Johto Elite Four.

XXX

It only took them about four hours to reach the Indigo Plateau by flight instead of about two weeks by walking. When they reached the entrance of the Indigo Plateau, there was an Officer Jenny blocking the entrance.

"I'm sorry young man; you're not allowed to enter the building." Jenny said.

"Why not?" Ash complained to the older woman.

"There has been a disturbance at Mt. Silver and until that is solved, no one is allowed to enter the Indigo Plateau." She answered.

"I'm sorry, but what does whatever's going on at Mt. Silver have to do with the Indigo Plateau?" Misty asked unconvincingly.

"Well, since Mt. Silver is close to the building, we're afraid if this continues, Mt. Silver will collapse onto the Indigo Plateau." Jenny answered.

"What would cause that?" Tracey asked.

"A pack of rampaging Tyranitar." Jenny answered.

"We can help you out." Ash offered.

"I'm sorry young man, but it's just too dangerous." She rejected his idea.

"But I have to get my next token for the tournament." He attempted to persuade her.

"So you're competing in the tournament?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, we all are. I'm Doctor Brock Harrison." Brock introduced.

"I'm the Cerulean City Gym Leader Misty Waterflower." Misty introduced.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Ash introduced.

"And I'm Tracey Sketchit, Pokemon watcher and assistant to Professor Oak." Tracey introduced.

She looked at all of them skeptically. They were all eager to help and they were high profile characters; probably just under celebrity status.

"Alright, you all can help." Jenny gave in. "Follow me."

Officer Jenny led the group of four plus Pikachu and Elektra to Mt. Silver. It was quite a beautiful place to visit. It had clean air, fully grown trees, a clear stream of river, and it was the home of many kinds of Pokemon.

Of in the distance, they saw the rampaging Tyranitar attacking something, or more like someone.

"So Pokemon thieves are the reason why the Tyranitar are acting like this." Jenny said.

"Let's hurry up and stop them." Ash said.

With that, they all sprinted towards the mountain where the battle was going on.

"You're all under arrest for attempting of Pokemon theft!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Who are you?" Ash demanded.

The thieves looked at Officer Jenny and the group she led and the leader snickered.

"You really think we're going to give up that easily? No one messes with our business. I'm John and we're a group of poachers." He said.

"Oh yeah, well when it evolves the wellbeing of Pokemon, then it does involve me." Ash shouted at them.

"Hey boss, does that kid look familiar to you?" The henchman asked.

"Yeah, he kinda does." John answered. "Hey, what's your name kid?"

"It's Ash; why does that concern you?" He answered angrily.

"Oh, you're Ash Ketchum. You're a very powerful trainer. I'll make a bet with you. If you beat me in a battle, I'll leave. And if I win, you leave and let us continue our business." The leader offered.

"There will be no such battle." Jenny interrupted.

"I'll do it." Ash answered quickly.

"What Ash; are you crazy?!" Misty asked surprisingly.

"I have to Mist." Ash answered.

"So we got a battle then? Good, it's a one on one battle." The leader explained.

"That's fine. I choose you, Heracross!" Ash exclaimed.

The Single Horn Pokemon came out and took his battle stance.

"Come out and use flamethrower Flareon!" He exclaimed.

"Dodge it and then use horn attack!" Ash commanded.

Heracross dodged the fire attack and quickly charged at the Flame Pokemon and attacked it with its large horn, making Flareon to falling on his back.

"Get up and use quick attack!" John ordered.

Flareon got up and quickly made his way to attack Heracross.

"Focus punch!" Ash exclaimed.

Heracross was charging up his focus punch waiting to see when Flareon would come to hit it.

"Hit it!" They both exclaimed.

Flareon launched itself forward to attack Heracross, but the Single Horn Pokemon had enough time to charge up his focus punch and knocked out the Flame Pokemon.

"Oh no Flareon!" John asked.

"Excellent job Heracross!" Ash cheered.

"It's over now. You're all under arrest." Jenny demanded.

"We're not going down that easily. Vaporeon use ice beam on the Tyranitar!" John demanded.

"Growlithe, use flamethrower to counter!" Brock ordered.

Vaporeon launched the ice beam at the Tyranitar, but Brock's Growlithe destroyed the ice beam.

"That's enough, you're all under arrest now!" Jenny said.

She sprinted towards John and tackled him and arrested him. The henchman didn't put up any fight at all. The Tyranitar were grateful for the humans that protected them, especially the youngest one of the group.

"Wow Ash, it seems like you have a fan." Misty joked.

"It sure does." Tracey said.

"Ash, this is the same Tyranitar that we returned here when it was a Larvitar!" Brock exclaimed.

"How do you know?" Ash asked.

"Why else would it act like this?" Brock answered.

Indeed the young Tyranitar was the Larvitar they returned there when they traveled through Johto right before the Silver Conference.

The mother came up to the son and pulled him away. They began talking, which left the group guessing what it was about.

"I wonder what they're talking about." Misty wondered.

The mother and son Tyranitar were discussing whether the son could travel with Ash. The mother of course didn't want him to. The son Tyranitar begged her to let him go. After another couple minutes, she would let him go if he could beat whatever Pokemon he chose.

"It looks like the son is challenging you to a battle." Tracey observed.

"Alright, Heracross get in there." Ash said.

Tyranitar started the battle with stone edge.

"Dodge it and use megahorn!" Ash ordered.

Heracross swiftly dodged the stones with his horn glowing getting ready to hit the Armor Pokemon. Once he made contact, Tyranitar took a few steps back. But, he wasn't far from done. Tyranitar launched itself towards Heracross with an aerial ace attack, which Heracross couldn't dodge.

"Heracross, can you get up?" Ash asked.

The Single Horn Pokemon was barely able to stand up. But Tyranitar wasn't finished yet.

"Charge up for focus punch." Ash commanded.

Tyranitar was coming in for a crunch attack while Heracross was charging up his focus punch, but unlike the first time, Heracross wasn't able to unleash the powerful fighting attack. After the crunch, Heracross fainted.

"Nice job Heracross, return." Ash said.

The mother Tyranitar was impressed with what she saw, so she let him go travel with Ash. The Tyranitar that just battled was signaling that it could come with Ash.

"Wait, you want to come with me?" Ash asked.

He nodded, indicating yes.

"Pokeball go!" Ash exclaimed while throwing the Pokeball.

The pokeball engulfed the gigantic Armor Pokemon. The pokeball kept shaking, but eventually it stopped, indicating that he was captured. The mother Tyranitar looked upset to see that her son was captured by a trainer. So Ash let him loose for a proper goodbye.

"Take your time, Tyranitar." Ash said sympathetically.

The group left so the mother and son Tyranitar could say their goodbyes to each other. It was a touching moment for them, but more importantly Ash. During this, he realized how his mother truly felt every time he left for a journey. Misty noticed how he was looking at them and knew exactly what he was feeling.

"It's okay Ash." Misty softly whispered.

"Thanks Mist." He whispered back.

The two Tyranitar broke out of their hug and the son left to join Ash and the gang.

"Return Tyranitar." Ash said.

The Tyranitar was sucked by the red beam of the pokeball and disappeared from sight back into the pokeball.

"Goodbye momma Tyranitar." The group said waving as they walked away.

XXX

"Thank you for all your help. You may now enter the Indigo Plateau for your token. Good luck Ash." Officer Jenny said.

"Thanks again Officer Jenny." Ash said.

Finally at 5pm, they entered the Indigo Plateau, home of the Kanto and Johto Elite Four. He already faced Bruno of both Kanto and Johto Elite Four, and now he was here to face Karen.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Can you heal my Heracross and then I'm here to face Karen of the Johto Elite Four." Ash answered.

"Let me see your Pokedex and Heracross's pokeball." She said.

Ash handed her the pokeball and his Pokedex. She healed him right away and scanned his Pokedex to make sure he was qualified to participate against Karen. After another minute, she handed back the pokeball and his Pokedex.

"Alright Ash, you're qualified to face Karen and your Heracross is healed. Do you want to battle her now?" She asked.

"Sure, if she's ready." Ash answered.

"She sure is. Come and follow me." Joy said.

They followed her into a back hallway that had all the battlefields of each elite four member. They finally stopped at the final door at the right. The door said _"Karen- The master of Dark Types". _

"Here you are. Good luck Ash." Joy said.

They all walked into the door and the room was completely black. Karen then turned on the light which startled them all except Karen of course. The room was filled with Honchkrow gargoyles. The walls were completely black and the only way they could pick out the battlefield was the white outlining. Karen was sitting on a beautiful black throne that a king or a queen of a country would sit on.

"Welcome trainer, I hope you're ready for this battle." Karen said.

"More than anything." Ash replied confidently.

"Let's get started then. Honchkrow, I choose you!" Karen exclaimed.

"I choose you, Glalie!" Ash exclaimed.

The Face Pokemon and the Big Boss Pokemon faced each other ready for battle.

"Glalie, start things of with headbutt!" Ash ordered.

"Counter with steel wing!" Karen ordered.

Glalie came rushing in getting ready to hit Honchkrow, but Honchkrow's wings turned to steel as he rushed in to hit Glalie.

"Duck under and use ice beam." Ash calmly commanded.

Right before Honchkrow hit Glalie; he ducked under the steel wing and launched an ice beam at the dark/flying type.

"Nice job Glalie, now use icy wind!" Ash ordered.

"Protect yourself using steel wing." Karen commanded.

Glalie unleashed a mini blizzard at the Big Boss Pokemon, but he used his steel wing to protect itself from the attack.

"Now use night slash!" Karen ordered.

Honchkrow went towards the Face Pokemon with its talons glowing dark and attacked it.

"Oh no Glalie!" Ash expressed concern for his Pokemon.

"Finish it with aerial ace!" She commanded.

"Stop it with ice beam!" Ash ordered.

Glalie unleashed the ice beam at the charging Honchkrow and luckily for Ash and Glalie, the ice beam froze Honchkrow.

"What?! Oh no!" Karen exclaimed.

"Finish it with headbutt!" Ash ordered.

Glalie rushed in at the frozen Honchkrow and broke the ice with his headbutt. After the headbutt, Honchkrow was lying on the ground fainted.

"Return Honchkrow. You did a great job." Karen said. "Go Umbreon!"

"You ready Glalie?" Ash asked the Face Pokemon.

"Finish it with dark pulse!" Karen ordered.

Umbreon charged up her attack and hit Glalie directly before Ash had time to call a counter move, causing it to faint.

"Return Glalie. Great job." Ash said.

Ash reached for Tyranitar's pokeball, but he remembered that he wanted to use Heracross and Kingler. So he reached for Heracross's pokeball and threw it, releasing the Single Horn Pokemon onto the battlefield.

"Use fury swipes!" Ash ordered.

Heracross flew across the field and swiped at Umbreon, causing some damage to the Moonlight Pokemon.

"Quick attack!" Karen ordered.

"Focus punch!" Ash ordered.

Karen's Umbreon is very fast, so she hit Heracross before it had a chance to charge up.

"Another quick attack!" She ordered.

"Use dig!" Ash countered.

Heracross was able to dig up a hole before Umbreon hit it, but Karen knew what to do.

"Use iron tail on the ground!"

Umbreon did a flip with her tail glowing and slammed it on the ground, causing Heracross to be forced up out of the ground.

"Iron tail again!" She ordered.

"Dodge it Heracross!" Ash commanded.

Before Umbreon could hit Heracross, he moved out of the way of her attack.

"Now finish it with megahorn!" Ash exclaimed.

Heracross's horn began to glow and rammed it into Umbreon's stomach, causing the Moonlight Pokemon to roll over and faint.

"Return, Umbreon. Good job. Not bad kid, but you won't defeat my strongest Pokemon. Go Houndoom!" She exclaimed.

"Use focus punch!" Ash exclaimed.

"Flamethrower!" Karen ordered.

Her Houndoom unleashed a powerful flamethrower, toasting up the Single Horn Pokemon. After the flames cleared, Heracross had no more strength to continue.

"Good job Heracross, return." Ash said.

"Go Ash!" Tracey, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Elektra cheered from the sidelines.

"Go Kingler!" Ash exclaimed.

The Pincer Pokemon took a battle ready stance, getting ready to fight.

"I know it's been a while, but I know we can win!" Ash encouraged.

"Cookie cookie!" Kingler replied.

"Use thunder fang!" Karen ordered.

"_Oh no, this isn't good." _Ash thought, but then he had an idea. "Use hyper beam!" Ash exclaimed.

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed.

While Houndoom was charging at Kingler with its electric fangs, the Pincer Pokemon was charging up its hyper beam. When Houndoom got close enough, Kingler released a hyper beam at close range, making Houndoom flew back onto its back.

"Come on Houndoom, can you get up?" She asked concerned.

Houndoom struggled to get up, but once it did, the Dark Pokemon collapsed and fainted.

"Alright, great job Kingler!" Ash exclaimed hugging the Pincer Pokemon.

"Great job Houndoom, return. And great job to you too as well Ash. You earned this." Karen said handing him a Johto token. It is another gold coin with the letter J and the number 2, indicating that he won his second token needed for the tournament.

"Thank you Karen that was a great battle. Alright, I got the Johto token!" Ash cheered.

"Great job Ash!" Tracey exclaimed.

"Nice work Ash!" Brock complimented.

"Excellent win!" Misty cheered.

"Thanks everyone; let's get outta here and go home!" Ash exclaimed.

XXX

There's chapter 22! As I am typing this, I am on my couch sick with a cold. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the Johto arc. So now, what you've all been waiting for: the answer. So I listened to your suggestions and I've decided to do a combination of what you've all said. What I mean is I'll do only 4 chapters of Hoenn. 3 of them will be battles and one will be Misty's birthday, so that'll be fun. I'll do the same thing with Sinnoh. 3 of them battles and one I guess "filler". I don't know when I'll post them. I'm way behind on my public speaking research (it's due tomorrow! College sucks!). So I'll be doing that plus make up work for school. So until next time, I'll see ya! Rates, reviews, and suggestions are appreciated!


	24. Chapter 23- Arrival in Hoenn

So now we begin the Hoenn Arc. Like I said, it won't be that long, only about 4 chapters. I'm going to write it differently. So without further ado, here's chapter 23!

Chapter 23- Arrival in Hoenn

**Misty's POV**

Ash got his Johto Token from Karen. So he's finally half way done this league. I'm so proud of him. He's grown up so much since the last time I remembered traveling with him. He wanted to go home that night, but it was too late. So we stayed at the hotel that night and left for Pallet the next morning.

When we first arrived in Pallet, Ash of course sprints to his house in excitement with Pikachu. I swear he does it every time. We should be used to it by now. So we got to see Mrs. Ketchum again, which is always nice. After her being kind enough to make us lunch and Ash stuffing his face, we decided to go to Professor Oaks. When we got there, we had a surprise visitor waiting for us, but more specifically Tracey.

"Daisy, what are you doing here?!" I exclaimed in astonishment.

"Well, I wanted to see you guys." She answered winking.

Of course, I was the only one who meant what she meant. The guys were completely confused, so I led all of them with the exception of Tracey. Ash and Brock wanted to know what was going on, so basically I told them that Daisy liked Tracey and she's going to ask out Tracey. They gave me the reaction I expected: surprised, especially Brock. He's always had a crush on my older sister, in fact all three of them. But that Brock's dead and gone, so he wasn't that upset.

The rest of that day was pretty uneventful. We let our Pokemon out and get some exercise. They all had a great time playing with each other and some of them even trained today.

We decided to stay in Pallet Town for the rest of the week. It was pretty uneventful as well, except that Tracey and Daisy began dating. We congratulated them and hoped for the best. I told Ash and Brock some of stories from when they were in Hoenn for the first time. And because of that, Tracey had to stop traveling with us, which was really sad. From what I know of, he's never been to Hoenn or Sinnoh. I've only been to Hoenn once, but it was a short visit. It's very beautiful from what I've seen. I can't wait to see the rest of it. So after the week, we thanked Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak and we went onto our cruise to Hoenn.

**Ash's POV**

I was more than happy to earn my Johto token. I'm so proud of all my Pokemon. They all work so hard to do their best for me. I was so excited that I wanted to travel home right after when it was midnight, but they made me stay at a hotel and sleep in.

We made it to Pallet the next day anyway. I always love coming home to Pallet Town. It's always refreshes me every time I come here. I get to see my mom and Professor Oak again, which is always a blast. But when we went to his lab, we saw Misty's oldest sister Daisy, which was strange. I wondered why she was here, but Misty explained everything to Brock and I. Misty said that Daisy and Tracey sort of have a crush on each other. Next thing you know, they started dating, which led to Tracey saying that he couldn't come with us to Hoenn or Sinnoh. Of course I was disappointed, but I wanted him to be happy and he seemed happy with Daisy. Then Misty told some stories about Tracey always visited the gym while we were in Hoenn. He would always do things for Daisy, which I thought was kinda funny, but Misty didn't. She said that those two would talk to each other for hours. She told me some other crazy stories from three invincible brothers to Cassidy and Biff trying to steal more Pokemon to this guy named Georgio asking her out on a date. I was kinda mad at first, but got over it quickly.

Now we're on our way to Hoenn on a nice cruise ship.

XXX

**Normal POV**

After two weeks of being on the cruise ship, they've finally made it to the Hoenn region.

"Finally, we've made it to Hoenn!" Ash cheered as he got off the cruise ship.

"Yeah, but you've gotta admit, being on that cruise ship was really fun." Misty said.

"I bet you loved seeing all the water Pokemon and the swimming." Brock replied knowingly.

"You bet so. They're all so beautiful!" Misty said dreamily.

"Hey Mist, sorry to interrupt your day dreaming, but what's today's date?" Ash asked.

"It's July 4th. I know you're worried about making it to the tournament on time, but you're doing really well with time." Misty answered.

"Oh really?" Ash replied questioning her answer.

"Remember Ash, we don't have to be there until the end of February to get all the badges." Brock reassured the nervous raven haired trainer.

"You guys are right, let's enjoy the Hoenn region. I can't wait to show you everything Misty!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah, you'll have a blast Misty." Brock backed up Ash.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Misty cheered.

**Misty's POV**

Obviously I was ecstatic to be here in Hoenn. Sure I've been here before, but it was for a short period of time. Now I finally always get to do what I've always done: and that's travel with Brock and Ash again throughout an entire region.

Don't get me wrong, I loved traveling with Tracey, but it wasn't the same. Ash, Brock, and I were the original trio. We did everything together and we get to do it again. I guess you can say I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

**Ash's POV**

Misty seemed really excited to be in Hoenn. I love it when she gets excited like this. It makes me feel really good inside. My favorite part about this journey is to be traveling with the original trio: myself, Misty, and Brock. These were the first two people that ever traveled with me and helped me with everything. Whether it was Pokemon battles and strategies to making me a better person; I'll never forget those days and we get to make new memories.

**Normal POV**

Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Elektra began their travels in Hoenn. The first stop they made was in Littleroot Town. It was a small, quiet little town, kinda like Pallet. The town was surrounded by forest. It had some small homes and the famous Professor Birch laboratory. They thought it would be a great idea to see Professor Birch again.

"Hey Professor Birch!" Ash shouted trying to get his attention.

The professor turned his head around to see who was calling his name.

"Oh hey Ash, Brock, and Misty; It's great to see you guys again!" He greeted back.

"What's going on?" Brock asked.

"Oh nothing much, I was just about to make myself some lunch. You guys wanna join me?" He asked.

"Sure, thank you very much." Misty answered for the group.

"Wow, usually when it comes to food, Ash would be the one to answer." Brock joked.

Everyone got a good laugh and joined the professor for lunch.

After lunch, Professor Birch had to prepare the three Hoenn starting Pokemon for three new trainers. Ash was always happy to meet new trainers about to pick out their first Pokemon. It gives him the most nostalgic feeling ever. The trainers came and met with Professor Birch and picked out their Pokemon. When Mudkip was introduced, Misty just marveled over it.

"AWWWW, he's so cute!" Misty marveled over the water starter Pokemon picking it up and treating it like a newborn baby.

Everyone just sweat dropped, even the Pikachus. The trainer who picked Mudkip was really scared that this crazy red head would steal her Pokemon. When she calmed down, she explained herself.

"Oh I'm sorry; I just love water Pokemon!" Misty apologized.

"There's no reason to apologize with having a passion." Birch said.

"I think love is a little underrated." Ash commented.

"I heard that." Misty spat jokingly.

With that, the trainers, along with the trio, decided to keep moving. While walking to Oldale Town, Brock finally asked the question of who Ash was going to face in Hoenn.

"Hey Ash, who are you going to face for your two badges?" Brock asked curiously.

"Well, I'm thinking that I should face Norman first, since he's really close. And it would be nice to see him again." Ash answered.

"Who's Norman?" Misty asked.

"He's May's and Max's dad. He's a really good guy." Ash answered.

"That's great; I can't wait to meet him." Misty said.

It was night fall when they made it to Oldale Town. So they decided to stay at the Pokemon center for the night.

The next morning, they got up and made great time and made it to Petalburg City in less than an hour. They decided to go to the gym and see if Norman was there.

"Hello Norman, are you here?" Ash shouted.

"I'll be right there." He called out.

Another minute later, Norman came out to see who was calling for him.

"Ah, it's Ash and Brock. How are you guys? And who's your friend?" Norman asked.

"It's good to see you too Norman. This is my girlfriend Misty, the Cerulean City gym leader." Ash proudly introduced her.

"Hi Norman, are you really May's dad?" She asked shyly.

"Why yes I am. No reason to be shy around me." Norman giggled.

"Let's get to the real reason why I came here. I'm challenging you for the Balance badge for the tournament." Ash said.

"I figured that would be the reason. Well I accept your challenge. It'll be a one on one battle. Is that okay with you?" Norman asked.

"That's fine with me." Ash responded.

"Good, let's get started. I choose Slaking!" Norman exclaimed.

The Lazy Pokemon came out of his pokeball, looking like it woke up from a nap. Misty was a little confused to say the least.

"Hey Brock, what is that?" She asked.

"It's a Slaking. It's very lazy, as you can see." Brock answered.

"It reminds me of someone I know." She joked.

"I choose you, Snorlax!" Ash exclaimed.

"And speak of the devil." Brock said.

"I wasn't talking about Snorlax." Misty giggled, which caused Brock, Pikachu, and Elektra to laugh as well.

"What's so funny over there?" Ash quickly asked.

"Nothing Ash, kick that Slaking's butt!" She cheered.

Ash just shrugged it off. Snorlax, unlike Slaking, was awake and ready to battle its opponent.

"Slaking, use hyper beam!" Norman ordered.

"Counter with your hyper beam Snorlax!" Ash countered.

Both of the gigantic Pokemon charged and launched their powerful hyper beams at each other. They collided in the middle, which caused an explosion in the middle of the battlefield.

"Seems like we're evenly matched." Norman observed.

"Seems like it. Now Snorlax, use body slam!" Ash ordered.

"Charge up for focus punch!" Norman ordered.

The Sleeping Pokemon jumped into the air with its full weight into the attack while the Lazy Pokemon began charging up its focus punch.

As Snorlax was about to land on top of Slaking, Slaking unleashed its fully charged focus punch and hit Snorlax in its big stomach, which caused him to fly back and land on his back.

"Snorlax, are you okay?" Ash asked concerned.

Snorlax was slowly getting up after the super effective attack. Everyone on the sideline looked really nervous for Ash and Snorlax.

"This isn't good." Misty stated the obvious.

"That focus punch is a very powerful attack. If he lands another one, Snorlax is done for." Brock observed.

"Now use earthquake!" Norman ordered.

Slaking stomped the ground as hard as it possibly could, shaking the entire gym.

"Jump and use focus blast." Ash countered.

Snorlax jumped and began forming a blue ball of energy between its arms. Once it was fully charged, he unleashed it at Slaking. After being hit, he fell on his back and smoke covered him. Snorlax landed on the ground and began to relax. After five minutes, it seemed like the battle was over and Ash had won.

"Hammer arm!"

The Lazy Pokemon ran through the smoke and hit Snorlax directly in the head, causing him to land on his back and didn't respond.

"This battles over." Norman said.

"Oh no, Ash lost." Misty said sadly.

"Wake up." Ash simply said.

With that command, Snorlax woke up and was fully reenergized. Everyone was surprised on what just happened.

"What, how did that happen?!" Norman, Brock, and Misty exclaimed.

"When Snorlax landed and began to relax, it was using rest. That's how it recovered and survived that hammer arm." Ash explained.

"Nice one Ash!" Brock cheered.

"That was very clever of you Ash, but this battle's over. Use focus punch!" Norman ordered.

Slaking's fist began to glow white as he was charging it's attack, getting ready to hit Snorlax.

"Use giga impact on the focus punch!" Ash countered.

Snorlax began sprinting towards Slaking, and then launched itself towards it. It was covered by blue streaks as Snorlax gained more momentum.

"That'll do you no good. Unleash it now!" Norman shouted.

"Channel that energy into a mega punch!" Ash shouted to Snorlax.

"What?!" Everyone yelled surprised by the move Ash called.

Snorlax then took all of the momentum of the giga impact and channeled it into his right fist. They both made contact with each other and caused a massive explosion in the middle of the battlefield. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were struggling to stand up.

"Come on Snorlax, I know you can do it!" Ash encouraged.

"Don't give up Slaking!" Norman encouraged.

Both Pokemon stood up, but were wobbling back and forth. It could go either way. Then another minute later, Slaking fell to the floor on its face.

"Alright Snorlax, way to go!" Ash celebrated.

"Way to go Ash!" Misty cheered.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Elektra all ran up to Ash to celebrate with him.

"That was an excellent job out there Ash. Very clever strategy you did at the end. For that, you've earned the Balance badge." Norman said.

"Thank you Norman. Alright, I got the Balance Badge!" Ash cheered as he did his famous victory pose. Pikachu and Snorlax also celebrated.

"Since its only 11 am, do you guys wanna stay for lunch?" Norman offered.

"Thanks Norman, but we really should get going." Ash said.

"I wouldn't mind something to eat." Misty objected otherwise.

"Same here." Brock agreeing with Ash's girlfriend.

"Well, it looks like you're outvoted. Come on and follow me to the kitchen." Norman said.

XXX

There's chapter 23! Like I said, these next few chapters are going to be pretty short. But do you guys like this writing style? Do you like reading what both Ash and Misty think or do you like the way I usually write? Let me know what you guys think. Also in other news, one of my favorite stories was updated today: The Masters Journey by Mr. M. Mars. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already. It's a truly fantastic fanfic. That's the story that actually inspired me to write this story, so imma give him a quick shout out. Next time will be Misty's birthday. That'll be a great chapter! Until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	25. Chapter 24- Happy Birthday Misty

I hope you enjoyed that last chapter. This is going to be a great chapter here. So without further ado, here's chapter 24!

Chapter 24- Happy Birthday Misty!

**Misty's POV**

Ash just got his first badge here in Hoenn then Norman invited us to have lunch. It was unlike Ash to say no to food, but Brock and I over ruled him. Norman led us to his home. It was a very nice sized home. He finally led us to the kitchen where we had our lunch. His wife, Caroline also joined us for lunch. She was a very nice woman. We had a very interesting conversation which involved Ash, May, and somehow myself. Ash got nervous when this conversation began. Basically what Caroline said was that after Ash and May split up and May went back home, she talked about how Ash missed me throughout our journey. Ash was getting embarrassed and blushing heavily, but I thought it was very sweet. Brock was laughing so hard, that was until I hit him in the head with my mallet. Then I saw a look on Caroline's face and she was probably thinking what Ash saw in me. After lunch, we left and said our goodbyes.

It's been a crazy few weeks. We've been traveling everywhere. Ash showed me Rustboro City, where we visited the Pokemon School, who was the gym leader Roxanne. She was happy that we all decided to visit her. In fact, she asked us to say something to the students. After Rustboro, we went to the small island of Dewford Town. I absolutely loved it! Simply because of the beach and everyone knows I love the beach! We spent a few days there and then went to Slateport City, which had another beach! Slateport is kind of like the Viridian City of Hoenn. It was so busy! After that, we all raced each other on the bike trail! I definitely beat Ash in a race; even though he'll tell you he won (he's wrong). We decided to stay in Mauville City for a little bit. After our stay, we're hitting the road once again. Today's July 27th, which is one day before my birthday! I hope Ash doesn't go overboard with the present. He's been everything I've always dreamed of and more as a boyfriend.

**Ash's POV**

After beating Norman, he invited us for lunch. I wanted to go right away, but Brock and Misty wanted to accept his invite. We had a very nice lunch that was until Caroline started talking about her conversation about me she had with May, which basically said that I was talking about Misty the entire time. I was blushing so much that my face turned into the upper half of a Voltorb. Luckily, Misty thought it was really sweet, but Brock was dying of laughter. Luckily Misty still had her mallet and hit Brock over the head with it. That was the only time that I was thankful that she had that thing because she only hit me with it. After lunch, we said our goodbyes and left.

These last few weeks have been so much fun. We've visited what seemed like everywhere. I've missed Hoenn so much. First, we visited Rustboro City and visited the Pokemon School, who was run by Roxanne. It was nice to see her again. She figured out that Misty and I were dating right away. We still blush every time says that and the kids began to laugh. Roxanne asked us to say a few words about training and being friends with our Pokemon. After our stay in Rustboro, we then traveled to Dewford Town and spent a few days on the beach, which Misty absolutely loved. When we had to leave, she was acting like a little kid and didn't want to go. We eventually got her to leave and made our way to Slateport City and visited some spots like the beach they had there. After we made a few stops at Slateport, Misty and I raced on the bike trail to get to Mauville City. She said that she won, but I completely destroyed her. After our little stay in Mauville, we hit the road. Now today is July 27th and tomorrow is Misty's birthday, which of course she's excited about. I have the perfect gift for her. When I give her this gift, she will absolutely love me even more!

**Normal POV**

Ash and the gang have been traveling ever since they left Mauville City. Misty was way up front of them taking the lead instead of Ash. They were planning on traveling towards Lavaridge Town and check out the hot springs and visit their old friend Flannery and her family. Brock was curious about what Ash was going to get Misty.

"So Ash, what are you getting Misty for her birthday tomorrow?" Brock asked.

"I have the perfect gift for her." Ash bragged.

"Well, tell me and then I'll be the judge of that." Brock replied.

"Well, let's just say that she'll be getting and old friend back." Ash hinted.

Brock had to think for a second, than it hit him like a bunch of rampaging Tauros.

"No way, did you even call them?" Brock asked.

"I will once we get to a Pokemon Center to ask." Ash explained.

"I've got to say Ash; I'm really impressed with you. The way you're taking care of Misty and being a good boyfriend is really incredible. I couldn't imagine you doing this when you were 10 or 12. I'm proud of you man." Brock complimented.

"Gee, thanks Brock. I mean, I really love her." Ash simply said.

"I know you do." Brock answered simply.

"That's why I need your help tomorrow." Ash said.

"How can I help you?" Brock asked curiously.

"Well, after I call them to see if I can, I'll leave tonight while everyone's sleeping. It's going to take some time for me to get there and get back. I need you to distract her all day. Take her shopping, take her to the hot springs in Lavaridge, do anything to distract her." Ash explained and instructed.

"Not a problem Ash." Brock answered right away and confidently.

"Thanks Brock, this means a lot. I owe you one and I know how I'll repay you." Ash said.

"Really; how is that?" Brock asked curiously.

"You'll see." Ash replied.

XXX

It was night time and they made it to a Pokemon Center in the town before Lavaridge Town. Now was the time that Ash wanted to make that phone call, but Misty wanted him to just hang out and relax.

"Please Ash; will you come with me and relax? I'm exhausted." Misty begged to the black haired trainer.

"Sorry Mist; I gotta make a couple of phone calls. I'll be right with you after I make my phone calls." He replied slightly annoyed.

"Fine Ash; but you better hurry up." The redhead demanded.

Misty left Ash where the videophones were. Ash and Pikachu finally got the privacy he requested and made the first phone call.

"Hello?" A young woman in a blue dress answered.

"Hey Princess Sara, it's me Ash." He answered.

"Oh yes, hello Ash. It's been a long time. How've you been?" Sara asked.

"I'm great; look can I ask you for a favor?" He asked.

"Absolutely, anything for you after what you did for us all those years ago; what is it that you would like for me to do?" She asked curiously.

"Well, you remember my friend Misty right?" He asked her.

"Yes; she was the one with the Togepi that evolved into Togetic right?" Sara tried to remember.

"Yeah, and now she's my girlfriend and her birthday is tomorrow. I was wondering that if I could go down and get Togetic back for her." Ash requested.

"Absolutely; many of the Togepi have evolved into Togetic and some even Togekiss. Just come by tomorrow." She answered.

"Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me. I'll be coming by late tonight." Ash said.

"Okay no problem; see you when you get here." Sara said and then hung up.

"Perfect, she's going to love this!" Ash said to the electric yellow mouse.

"(I know; this is the perfect gift.)" Pikachu replied.

"Alright, I gotta make one more phone call. Do you wanna go and let Misty know?" Ash asked.

"(Sure.)" Pikachu answered.

XXX

Ash finished his other phone call and decided to join Misty and everyone else. It was late at night and they all decided to go to bed.

Misty fell asleep right away cuddling next to the black haired boyfriend while Ash just lied on the ground wide awake. He decided to go now while she was asleep. He tried to get up, but Misty kept holding on to him. She didn't want him to leave.

"Mist, I gotta go to the bathroom." Ash whispered.

As soon as she heard those words, she let go of him letting him go to "the bathroom". Pikachu also got up as he wanted to go with his master to go get Togetic. Pikachu really loved the Pokemon and considered it as a younger sibling. So Pikachu was just as excited to go as was Ash.

Ash and Pikachu were both outside in the middle of the night. It was a very warm night, considering that they were in the Hoenn region, which was probably the warmest region out of the five he knew. Ash reached down and grabbed one of his Pokeballs. He quietly threw it in the air as he released Charizard. The orange dragon wondered why he was called out of his Pokeball at this time of day.

"Charizard, we gotta be quiet. We're going to get an old friend back for Misty's birthday." He whispered in the dragon's ear.

Ash hopped on his back and Charizard obliged, still curious of whom it was they were getting back. He flapped his wings quietly and took off, releasing a small roar.

XXX

Ash had reached the Togepi Kingdom by morning like he wanted to. After the long flight, he put Charizard back into his Pokeball and walked up to the entrance of the castle where he met Princess Sara.

"Ash, it's great to see you again. Just follow me and I'll lead you to Misty's Togetic." She said joyfully.

"Great, let's get going!" Ash replied excitedly.

They both walked through the castle and had to go to back behind the castle. Sara asked her Togepi to lead them into Togepi Paradise. Togepi used metronome and led them into the magical place that was Togepi Paradise.

It was quite a beautiful place. The sky was blue and the grass was green. There were fully grown trees and flowers grown everywhere. There were also many Togepi, Togetic, and Togekiss playing. Sara walked up to a group of Togetic to see if it was Misty's. One of the Togetic was staring at Ash very carefully. Ash was getting a little worried, but after another second, the Togetic that was staring at him flew up and tackled him down to the ground, indicating that it was Misty's Togetic.

"(Daddy!)" The very enthused Togetic screamed in its own language.

"Hey there Togetic, it's great to see you too." Ash laughed.

Togetic saw Pikachu and began playing with Pikachu.

"It's great that Togetic remembers you." Sara remarked.

"Yeah, I thought it would forget me." Ash said.

Ash called over to the two Pokemon playing and catching up.

"Hey Togetic, come here I wanna ask you something."

Togetic flew over to Ash and was wondering what he could have wanted.

"I'm here because it's Misty's birthday today. I wanted to take you to her and give you as a gift." Ash explained to the Happiness Pokemon.

Pikachu had explained that Ash and Misty, who were basically Togetic's mom and dad, that they were finally dating. Of course he was very happy about that.

"So what do you say? Do you want to travel with us again?" Ash asked the Happiness Pokemon.

Togetic had to think about it. He loved it here in Togepi Paradise, but he did miss his mommy and daddy. But if he left, he would begin to miss all of his friends here as well. Togetic began circling around Ash, leaving him very confused.

"I think he wants to go with you." The Princess giggled.

"Alright; Misty's gonna be so happy!" Ash cheered.

Ash, Sara, Pikachu, and now Togetic exited the Paradise and back into the human world. Now it was time for Sara and Togetic to say goodbye.

"Good bye Togetic; we'll all miss you." Sara cried while hugging the Happiness Pokemon.

Togetic hugged back, exchanging tears of his own. With that, they took off to wherever Misty, Brock, and Elektra would be.

XXX

Meanwhile over at the Pokemon Center Misty and Brock stayed at, it had been complete hell for Brock ever since they both woke up. Misty was completely worried about where Ash was the entire day. Brock tried his best to persuade her that he was completely fine, but Misty didn't have any of it.

"Where the hell is he?!" She screamed for the umpteenth time.

"I told you Misty, he's probably getting you a gift. How about we go to Lavaridge Town now and go to the hot springs?" Brock suggested.

"I can't go if Ash's missing!" She yelled at him.

She's been past frustrated all day. Her face was as red as her hair. Today was her birthday and her boyfriend was missing! What else could go wrong for her? All of the sudden, a phone began to ring. It was Brocks.

"Hello?" Brock answered.

"It's me Ash; how's Misty been?" Ash asked.

"What; Brock give me the phone!" Misty demanded.

She yanked the phone out of his hands and began to yell at Ash.

"Where have you been all day?! I've been worried sick about you!"

"I've been busy getting your gift." Ash replied simply. "I'm on my way back now."

"You better be!" She yelled then gave Brock back his phone.

"As you can see, she's not very happy with you." Brock stated the obvious.

"I can tell. Go ahead to Lavaridge Town and I'll meet you guys there." Ash instructed.

"Got it; see you soon." Brock replied and then hung up.

"So, what else did he say?" Misty asked still blowing off steam.

"We're going to meet him in Lavaridge. So let's get going." Brock said.

Brock, Misty, and Elektra began packing there things along with some of Ash's things and made their way to Lavaridge Town.

XXX

It was now close to dinner time and there was no sign of Ash. The only reason that Misty wasn't ripping Brock's head off was because she was relaxing in the hot spring. Then, they saw a figure flying towards them.

"Hey Misty, I think that's Ash." Brock said.

"Finally he's here. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." She stated angrily.

Ash, Pikachu, and Charizard landed at the hot springs. He returned the Dragon like Pokemon and praised him for his efforts. Ash and Pikachu proceeded to walk into the hot springs to join them like nothing even happened.

"Ash, I'm going to ask you this only one time; where the hell have you been all day?" Misty whispered angrily.

"I've been getting your present. I'll give it to you after I get some time to relax in the hot spring." Ash replied.

"_This better be a damn good present." _Misty thought.

XXX

After Ash had some time to relax in the hot springs, they all had a very nice birthday dinner for Misty in a very nice hotel they stayed at, paid by Ash of course. Misty decided that it was time for her present.

"So Ash, where's this present you got me?" Misty asked curiously.

"You want it now?" Ash asked.

"Yes." She demanded.

"Why doesn't Brock go first?" Ash suggested.

"Brock doesn't need to get me a present because he didn't leave me for the _whole_ day." Misty told him angrily.

"Okay fine, here's the present. Happy Birthday Misty." Ash said giving her a Pokeball.

Misty looked at it curiously for a second.

"_You got me a Pokemon?" _ She thought angrily.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Ash asked excitedly.

"Why are you excited?" Misty asked.

"I just know you're going to love it." He answered.

Misty looked at the pokeball again and pressed the center of the round capsule. It opened and revealed what was inside. It was Togetic.

"(Hi mommy!)" Togetic exclaimed in its own language.

Misty couldn't believe what just happened. She thought she was dreaming. The first thing she did was cover her mouth. Tears began to form in her eyes, but rubbed them away quickly, still not believing what she was seeing.

"A.. Ash, is.. is this… really Togetic?" Misty sobbed out.

"Yes it is. Happy birthday Misty, Togetic and I love you very much." Ash answered.

Misty burst out into tears of joy hugging Togetic first. It was her first baby. She couldn't believe that she was actually hugging her first baby Pokemon. After she released her hug from the Happiness Pokemon, she looked at Ash and no one saw what she was about to do next.

SLAP!

She slapped Ash across the face, leaving everyone in the room, including Togetic, a little frightened.

"Don't ever leave me like that ever again, got it?!" Misty spat out angrily.

Ash didn't know how to answer. But he never did as she tackled him onto the ground and starting kissing him all over his face.

"I'm sorry for that Ash, but don't ever do that again." She said happily and angrily while giving him a barrage of kisses all over his face.

"Uh, okay Mist." He replied.

Brock made everyone look away in disgust with what was going on. They all simply just went into another room.

XXX

Everyone was going to bed and Misty snuggled right up against Ash lovingly that night, while Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic slept at the end of the bed.

"I'm so happy now Ash. Thank you that was the best birthday present I've ever received." Misty whispered, and then kissed him on the cheek.

"It was no problem. I love you and that's what matters." Ash whispered back then kissed her cheek.

"I love you even more. You're the best boyfriend a girl could ever ask. Sorry for slapping you." Misty responded.

"It's okay; I probably deserved it anyway." Ash replied.

With that, the two humans and three Pokemon drifted off into dream land, but Misty didn't have to dream because one of them came true. Her first baby Pokemon was back with her, but what else could she be dreaming of?

XXX

There's chapter 24! I hoped you all enjoyed Misty's Birthday as much as I did. It was pretty eventful to say the least. I may go back and edit it again, but I'll have to read it again. The next two chapters will be the conclusion of Hoenn and then we'll move onto Sinnoh. Until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	26. Chapter 25- A Water War

Hello everybody, we're almost done Hoenn! This'll be the other gym battle, and then the next chapter is the elite four battle. Let's see what happens next! So without further ado, here's chapter 25!

Chapter 25- A Water War

**Misty's POV**

I had probably one of the strangest birthdays ever. First, Ash isn't there when I wake up, which I was really upset about. And unfortunately for Brock, I took it out on him and everything else, even Elektra. I was just so mad at Ash for not coming back that night. Obviously, I was very frustrated that entire day and when Ash came back, I was just stunned. He acted like he did nothing wrong at all. He said he'd give me my present when he had some time to relax at the hot spring. Later that night, he gave me a Pokeball. I was kinda upset at first that he got me a random Pokemon, but until I opened it and Togetic came out of the Pokeball, I almost immediately forgave him. But after I wiped away my tears of joy from being with my first baby, I did something that no one else thought I would do. I slapped him. I guess it was because it was my first reaction. But after that, I kind of made it up to him by kissing him what seemed like a million times. Ash certainly liked it a lot, but everyone one else was just disgusted by it.

Ever since then, I've been more than happy with Ash. He really is the best boyfriend ever! The last few weeks, we visited many of the other cities here in Hoenn and they really are beautiful. Also, I've noticed that this region always has nice weather. There was really no winter here, even though it is now near the end of summer. Now we're on a ship towards Sootopolis City, which he said I would absolutely love. I asked him why and he said that I need to wait and see. I hope it's something great.

**Ash's POV**

Misty's birthday was certainly an interesting one. I knew what I wanted to get her, but I had to leave her the entire day. Instead of me telling her that, I thought it would be a good idea and sneak off in the middle of the night and getting it. Brock told me he was suffering throughout the entire day until I got back. I promised him I'd give him a nice surprise. When I gave Misty Togetic, she was confused at first. I think she'd hated it at first. But when she opened it and saw Togetic, she was more than happy. But she slapped me after she hugged Togetic. And after that, she tackled me and began to kiss me. I had no idea how to respond. I was so confused; so I just let her kiss me.

Ever since that night, she'd barely let me go. It's quite nice that I'm actually recognized for being a great boyfriend. We're on our way to Sootopolis City, which I absolutely know Misty will love. It's a town that prides itself on water Pokemon. She'd also love Juan, the town's gym leader. I just hope that she doesn't turn into a fan girl.

**Normal POV **

"Guys, we're here!" Ash shouted waking up everyone who was taking a nap.

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic all woke up from their naps and walked over to where the ecstatic trainer was pointing. It was the famous Sootopolis City. The city was a large island with grand buildings.

"Ash, why do you think I would like this city?" Misty asked the trainer curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it's known for its water Pokemon." Ash answered excitingly.

"Yeah, and I'll know you'll love the gym leader. He's a water type enthusiast who loves showing them off in style." Brock added supporting Ash.

The cruise ship landed onto the landing dock, where there was stairs where the passengers were able to get off the boat. Once they landed, Misty was in complete awe of how the city looked.

"Wow, this city is amazing! It's so beautiful; it's more beautiful than Cerulean." Misty gasped with her eyes sparkling staring at the grand buildings of the city.

"I knew you would love it." Ash bragged with his head up high and chest buffed up.

"Don't get too buff Ash; you still gotta battle the gym leader." Misty looked back at the black haired trainer to remind him.

"Let's get going then!" Ash exclaimed running, but was grabbed by the back of his collar by Brock.

"Ash, don't you think you should give Professor Oak first before you battle Juan?" Brock suggested to the hard headed trainer.

"That would be a good idea." Ash agreed.

The three trainers and three Pokemon walked around the city admiring the large and beautiful buildings while looking for the Pokemon Center. While walking around, they ran into a tall, older man wearing a blue trench coat with a black t shirt and purple jean shorts. He also had a funny hair do; it was black at the base with touches of white. Once Ash got a look at the man, he instantly knew it was Juan.

"Hey Juan!" He greeted excitingly.

"Why hello there; do I know you from somewhere?" Juan asked the young trainer, not remembering him right away.

"Yeah, it's me Ash Ketchum." He reminded him.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. As you can see, age is catching up to me and I'm forgetting a lot of things." Juan said.

"Hey Juan; it's nice to see you again." Brock said greeting the water gym leader.

"It's nice to see you again as well Brock. I've never met you before." Juan said looking down at Misty.

"Hello, I'm Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City. I'm also the gym leader there." Misty introduced herself to the tall gentleman.

"Oh yes I remember you. You're one of the best gym leaders out there today." Juan complimented the red head woman from Cerulean.

"Oh please stop, you're too much." Misty blushed at his compliment.

"So Juan, are you still the gym leader of this city? I was hoping to battle you for my final badge in Hoenn." Ash asked trying to change the subject. Brock took notice and knew that Ash was getting a little jealous.

"Why yes I am still the gym leader. I will have a battle, but first I need to heal up my Pokemon." Juan replied to the eager trainer.

"We were on our way there too. Why don't we tag along? I really want to get to know you more." Misty suggested sweetly.

"I would like that. I would like to get to know you more as well." Juan replied flirtatiously.

"Oh great, by the time we leave, Misty will break up with me and date Juan." Ash mumbled to himself quietly while crossing his arms. But unfortunately for Ash, Brock heard him.

"Hey don't worry Ash; she's probably just messing with you." Brock encouraged the ticked off trainer.

"Probably, but it still makes me so mad when she does it." Ash complained to Brock.

"Why don't you do it the next time you meet a girl you remember?" Brock suggested to Ash.

"Yeah okay and then have her rip my head off and then break up with me." Ash answered sarcastically.

While Brock and Ash were talking, Juan and Misty were talking as well. They were talking about their love for water Pokemon and how they both got started as trainers. Misty got really interested in the conversation when Juan began to talk about his past experience as a coordinator. While Ash was watching them converse, he was growing jealous every minute.

After 10 minutes of walking, they finally reached the Pokemon Center. Brock decided to join Misty and Juan in their conversation while Ash went to a videophone to call Professor Oak. He picked up the phone and dialed the Professors lab number. After two rings, Oak answered the phone.

"Why hello Ash; what can I do you for today?" The old Professor answered.

"I'm going to need some Pokemon over here. I'm facing the Sootopolis City gym leader Juan." Ash answered the Professor.

"He uses water type Pokemon. Do you know how many Pokemon you're going to use?" Oak asked curiously trying to help out the trainer.

"No I don't, but I think I'm going to bring six just in case." Ash answered quickly.

"That's a good idea Ash. I suggest you use Sceptile, Pikachu, Meganium, Dewott, Wartortle, and Croconaw against him in your battle." Oak suggested to the trainer from Pallet.

"That's a great line up Professor. I can't wait to use them in battle again. How are they all doing?" Ash asked, referring to everyone except Pikachu.

"They're all doing great. They're all getting stronger every day. I should let you know that Croconaw has changed ever since it evolved." Professor Oak informed Ash.

"Really, but how? Is there anything wrong with him?" Ash asked curiously wondering if something bad happened to him.

"No, no nothing like that. His personality changed a little bit. You know how Totodile was always happy and always dancing?" Oak asked him.

Ash simply nodded, remembering him being so hyper put a smile on his face.

"Well, he still dances, but it hurts everyone else, especially when battling. He's grown the most out of all the other Pokemon I mentioned. I thought I should warn you." Oak informed the trainer with a serious look on his face.

"Well, is he still happy?" Ash asked wondering if he totally changed.

"Yes, but only when he battles. Otherwise, he seems mad. It's okay though because that's what included in the changes of Totodile evolution line from what I've studied." Oak explained to Ash.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for the info. I'll send you five Pokeballs then." Ash said while pulling out five Pokeballs to give to Professor Oak in the transfer machine.

After he put them in the machine, they beamed to his laboratory and then Ash received five other Pokeballs containing the Pokemon he will use in the battle.

"Thanks Professor Oak, I'll call you after the battle." Ash said after receiving his Pokeballs.

"Alright Ash; take care." Professor Oak said and then hung up on Ash, indicating the end of the conversation.

"I'm ready for our battle Juan!" Ash exclaimed while walking over towards the group interrupting their conversation.

"Ash, don't be so rude!" Misty shouted at the black haired trainer.

"It's fine Misty; I'll go get my Pokemon and then we can go to the gym." Juan said trying to calm the red headed water trainer.

Misty instantly became attracted to Juan just of the simple fact he loved water Pokemon. She also wanted to see Ash jealous. She's never seen him jealous, but she knew it was working because of the way he was acting. After Juan collected his Pokemon, they all walked to the gym.

The gym was exactly how Ash remembered the last time he entered it. The battlefield was a swimming pool with platforms floating on the water. Both Juan and Ash, along with Pikachu, took a side on the battlefield while Brock, Misty, Elektra, and Togetic sat on the sidelines.

"This will be a three on three battle. Only the trainer will be able to substitute Pokemon. Are the rules clear?" The referee stood in the middle asked the two eager trainers.

They both simply nodded; eager to get the battle started.

"Then let the battle begin!" The referee announced.

"Come on out Seaking!" Juan exclaimed throwing the pokeball unleashing the Goldfish Pokemon.

"Pikachu, you ready to battle?" Ash asked the yellow mouse Pokemon.

"(Yeah!)" The yellow mouse exclaimed, and then jumped onto one of the platforms on Ash's side of the battlefield.

"Now, let the battle begin!" The referee exclaimed raising a red and green flag, indicating that the battle has begun.

"You have the first move Ash." Juan offered with a smirk on his face.

"_This is perfect. I remember exactly how to beat Juan. I know it won't be easy, but I know I can do it." _Ash thought confidently with a grin on his face.

"Pikachu use thunderbolt on Seaking." Ash ordered.

Pikachu had unleashed his thunderbolt on the Goldfish Pokemon. Juan just smiled remembering this happening in their first battle.

"Seaking, use horn drill to counter the thunderbolt." Juan calmly ordered.

Seaking's horn began to rotate rapidly, absorbing the energy of the thunderbolt and then unleashed it back at Pikachu.

"Oh no, not this again." Ash panicked.

"Ash, I remember our battle as well. You're going to have to do more than that if you want to beat me." Juan said confidently.

Ash clenched his fists in anger trying to come up with a plan to beat Juan using the same strategy. Then he had an idea.

"Now Pikachu, sprint across the field and use iron tail on Seaking!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu sprinted across the field and then his tail turned to complete iron and he slammed it into Seaking. Seaking was flying across the battlefield, still in the water.

"Pikachu, jump on Seaking and use thunder!" Ash ordered.

The yellow mouse obliged and jumped onto the Goldfish Pokemon and unleashed the powerful electric attack. Since they were both in the water, it did a lot more damage. After the attack, Seaking was left there fainted.

"Seaking is unable to battle; the winner is Ash Ketchum!" The referee announced.

"Nice job Ash; way to take the lead!" Misty cheered on her boyfriend from the sidelines.

"This battle is far from over. And Pikachu must be exhausted from that battle." Brock replied with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Alright Ash; I have to say that I'm impressed. You still have those creative tactics of yours. But I'll beat you this time. Go Kingdra!" Juan exclaimed unleashing the Dragon Pokemon from his Pokeball.

"Kingdra huh; well then," Ash began while unclipping the Pokeball from his belt. "Pikachu take a nice rest. I choose you, Croconaw!" Ash exclaimed as the Big Jaw Pokemon came out of his Pokeball.

Croconaw took a ready battle stance instead of dancing happily around as it used to do as a Totodile. Croconaw also looked very angry at Kingdra. Ash was still getting used to it.

"Kingdra, start this off with a dragonbreath!" Juan ordered.

Kingdra took a deep breath in from its single nostril and unleashed a powerful dragonbreath coming for Croconaw.

"Jump to dodge and use hydro pump!" Ash ordered.

The Big Jaw Pokemon jumped using its powerful legs and avoided the attack and then unleashed a powerful hydro pump at the Dragon Pokemon. Unfortunately, it didn't do a lot of damage so after the attack, Kingdra floated tall on the water. And Croconaw landed back onto its side of the field.

"Use draco meteor!" Juan ordered.

Kingdra's began charging up for the attack. Its snout was surrounded by an orange ball of energy. It then pointed up and released the ball of energy into the sky. It continued up until it was above the entire battlefield. After it was high enough, the ball disbursed and meteors formed from it and hit the entire battlefield. It was so powerful it damaged Croconaw greatly. Croconaw was struggling to stand up.

"Come on Croconaw; you gotta get up!" Ash encouraged the Big Jaw Pokemon.

He was still struggling to stand up as he was only on his one knee.

"Move up close and use dragonbreath!" Juan ordered.

Kingdra sped across the battlefield at an incredible rate.

"Wow that Kingdra's fast." Misty said in amazement.

"You should know Misty. You have your own Kingdra now." Brock reminded the red headed trainer.

"Use ice beam on the water to stop it in its tracks." Ash commanded the Big Jaw Pokemon.

Croconaw unleashed a beam of ice from its mouth onto the water, attempting to freeze it. After Croconaw finished its attack, the battlefield was covered with ice, freezing Kingdra in the process. Juan didn't look concerned at all.

"Finish this battle with ice punch!" Ash exclaimed.

Croconaw began sprinting across the now frozen battlefield staring at its target, still frozen in the middle of the battlefield.

"Use flamethrower." Juan ordered calmly.

Although Kingdra was frozen, it heard Juan's command and unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its snout, melting the ice that was surrounding it and eventually broke free. Unfortunately, it couldn't dodge the ice punch. Once it was hit, Kingdra fainted.

"Kingdra is unable to battle; Croconaw wins!" The referee announced.

Juan returned Kingdra into his pokeball. He was impressed with Ash and his Pokemon.

"I'm impressed Ash; no one has been able to take out my Pokemon without taking a single defeat. But you're still not going to win. Go Milotic!" Juan announced as the Tender Pokemon appeared out of the pokeball and began to slither across the frozen battlefield.

"Wow; it's so beautiful!" Misty admired the Hoenn water type Pokemon. She was so hypnotized by it that she had stars in her eyes.

"Thank you Misty; I've raised Milotic ever since it was a Feebas. She's my most powerful Pokemon and I'm about to show you now. Use hydro pump!" Juan ordered.

The majestic beast unleashed a quick and powerful hydro pump right at the Big Jaw Pokemon, who could do nothing but take the hit. Even though it just took the hit, Croconaw was still able to stand. It was staring angrily at the Tender Pokemon.

"Let's go Croconaw; use crunch!" Ash exclaimed.

He launched himself into the air using his powerful legs to charge at the Tender Pokemon.

"Use dive to break the ice." Juan replied.

Milotic effortlessly dove into the water breaking the ice battlefield. Ash was getting nervous as he just witnessed Milotic escaping the attack. Croconaw was standing in the middle of the battlefield inches where Milotic created a hole. Now was Juan's time to strike.

"Attack now!" Juan commanded.

Milotic crushed through the ice and attacked Croconaw with enough force to break the entire field, so it turned back to water. Croconaw was floating in the water unconscious.

"Croconaw is unable to battle; Milotic is the winner." The referee announced.

Ash returned Croconaw and praised it for its good work. He had two Pokemon he could use: either Pikachu or one of the others he got from Professor Oak.

"_Since the field is back to all water, I should probably use him." _Ash thought reaching for his pokeball. "Sceptile I choose you!" He exclaimed.

The Forest Pokemon came out of its pokeball eager to battle the Tender Pokemon, both Pokemon were glaring at each other. Once the referee announced for the battle to begin, both charged each other without regards to their trainer's orders.

"Sceptile use leaf blade!" Ash commanded.

The leaves on Sceptile's arms turned green and extended as he was getting ready to hit Milotic. Juan wanted to counter, but Sceptile was obviously too quick as the super effective and powerful grass attack directly hit the Tender Pokemon.

"Dive into the water!" Juan ordered nervously.

Milotic dove into the water protecting herself from any attack from Sceptile.

"Pop up and use ice beam!" Juan ordered.

"Use quick attack to dodge!" Ash countered quickly.

Milotic popped its head out of the water and shot a beam of ice where Sceptile was, but it missed because of the incredible speed of the Forest Pokemon.

"Keep at it Milotic!" Juan screamed.

"_What can I do to make him stop?" _Ash thought as he was watching Sceptile dodging one ice beam after another.

Then he had an idea.

"Sceptile stop where you are." Ash said to the Forest Pokemon.

Sceptile was confused, but he obliged and stopped. Milotic went back under the water, waiting for the order of Juan.

"I don't know what you're doing, but you just lost Sceptile. Now use ice beam!" Juan ordered confidently.

"Perfect; Sceptile use sunny day and aim it right at Milotic!" Ash ordered.

Milotic popped her head out of the water and as soon as Sceptile saw her, he blinded her with sunny day attack.

"What?!" Juan exclaimed surprised by the move that Ash just called.

"Now use solarbeam!" Ash commanded.

The seeds on Sceptile's back were growing brighter as he was charging for the powerful grass attack. Luckily for Ash, it didn't take that long for it to charge because of the sunny day. Sceptile unleashed it right at the Tender Pokemon, who was completely blinded and couldn't move at all. Everyone was blinded for a minute from the attack and once the room dimmed back down, everyone saw Milotic floating on the water fainted.

"Milotic is unable to battle; Sceptile is the winner. Which means Ash wins the battle!" The referee announced.

"Alright!" Ash cheered on his side of the field along with a pretty worn out Pikachu.

"Way to go Ash!" Misty cheered from the sidelines.

Ash walked off his side of the field and met Juan where the rest of the crowd was.

"Congratulations Ash; you've definitely gotten stronger as I barely took out one of your Pokemon. Take this rain badge and get even stronger." Juan informed the raven haired trainer.

"I will; and my best friends and Pokemon will help me out with it." Ash responded while looking at everyone determinedly.

Once they said their goodbyes, they spent the night at the Pokemon Center while Ash and his Pokemon were resting. The next morning, they were on a boat heading towards Ash's elite four battle.

There's chapter 25! Sorry it took so long! A lot of things happened. I was going to do a six on six battle and decided to change it to three on three. School is also in the way, but I do have spring break next week, so more chapters for you! I'm also working now. Hopefully I'll still be able to write up and post as much as I like too. Enough complaining from me; next chapter concludes Hoenn and I shortened Sinnoh. You'll see how. Until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	27. Chapter 26- Dancing with Dragons

Here's the last chapter for Hoenn. It'll probably a very short chapter, considering it's just the battle. Without further ado, here's chapter 26!

Chapter 26- Dancing with Dragons

**Ash's POV**

I got my rain badge against Juan. I was really impressed with all of my Pokemon, especially Croconaw. Professor Oak wasn't kidding when he said he got stronger after evolving. Not just Croconaw, Sceptile is very strong as well. After seeing him, I'm glad we got outta there because I thought that Misty was going to dump me for him.

Now we're on our way towards Ever Grande City, where I have to choose one of the elite four members to battle. I know who I want to battle when we get there. I can almost see it now. And the best part is that it only took a week to get there because it was a straight ride from Sootopolis to there without any other distractions.

**Misty's POV**

After Ash beat Juan, I begged him to stay in Sootopolis for a few days, but Ash was still in battle mode and wanted to make it to the next place as soon as possible. I think he was getting jealous of Juan. Maybe I should apologize to him.

Other than that, we've been traveling on a cruise towards Ever Grande City, where Ash will battle one of the members of the Elite Four. I don't really know who the Hoenn Elite Four are. So it'll be fun to watch. I know he's going to win.

**Normal POV**

Misty was staring at the beautiful, sparkling blue ocean while standing on the edge of the cruise ship. She saw all of the kinds of water Pokemon had to offer. From old ones she knew like Tentacruel and Seaking, to new ones like Wailord and Pelipper. Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, and everyone else were relaxing on the cruise near the pool.

"Guys, I think I see the city!" Misty yelled very loudly, disturbing her friends.

"Thanks for disturbing my beauty sleep." Brock replied tiringly while rubbing his eyes trying to wake up.

"Yeah Misty, really." Ash replied agreeing with Brock, rubbing his eyes as well.

"Oh get over it you big babies. Come and see!" Misty cheered grabbing their wrists and pulling them towards where Misty was standing.

"Yep, you're right Misty. This is Ever Grande City." Brock confirmed as the cruise ship docked. Ash and the gang began to grab their things and got off the boat.

"Wow, it's even bigger than Sootopolis!" Misty awed at the beautiful scene.

"It isn't called Ever Grande City for nothing you know." Ash said.

"You know Misty, there's a beach here too." Brock mentioned knowing that she'd want to go.

"That's it, let's go guys." Misty ordered happily as she grabbed her things and pushed them towards the beach.

"What about going to the Pokemon Center first?" Ash suggested.

Misty stopped and said "Yeah, that's a good idea."

Ash and the gang walked around the city and found the Pokemon Center. Once they entered, the Nurse Joy walked up towards them.

"Hello, are you Misty Waterflower?" Joy asked the young red head girl.

"Yes, why is something wrong?" Misty answered confused.

"No, nothing at all, but you have a phone call from Juan from Sootopolis City." Joy said.

"Okay, thank you." Misty said to the kind Nurse.

"What do you think it's about?" Ash asked his girlfriend.

"I don't know. Let's go find out." She suggested.

Nurse Joy led them to the phone that Juan called them on. They were all surprised to see him call them.

"Hey Juan, how did you know where to call us?" Misty asked curiously.

"Simple, Ash said he was going to Ever Grande City for his Hoenn Token." He answered simply.

Everyone sweat dropped.

"Oh yeah, anyway, so why did you call?" Misty asked.

"I forgot to tell you something. I'm planning on retiring from being a Pokemon trainer and-"

"What?!" The trio interrupted him.

"Why are you retiring?" Ash asked surprised.

"Well, after our battle, I've seemed to have lost the passion of battling and training. And the fact that I'm getting up there in age doesn't help my cause. Anyway, I called because I wanted to see if Misty was interested in having one of my Pokemon." Juan explained sadly.

"Wait, are you giving your Pokemon away?" Brock asked curiously.

"No; I'm keeping all of them, but I want to see if Misty wants one of them." Juan answered.

"Who do you want to give to me?" Misty asked.

"Milotic." He answered.

"Milotic?" She asked to make sure she heard it right.

"Yes; you see, I've told all my Pokemon that I'm retiring from battling and most of them took it hard, especially Milotic. I've discussed it with Milotic and she was still really upset about my retirement. She loves battling and performing, so I asked her if she would be happy if I sent her to a trainer that would take care of her and use her in battle. And the first person I thought of was you. So, are you interested?" Juan explained and then asked the young water Pokemon master in training.

"Are you sure that Milotic would be happy leaving you?" Misty asked in concern.

"Even though she means a lot to me and I mean a lot to her, she still wants to battle. Is that right, Milotic?" Juan asked the Pokemon who slithered towards him on the screen.

"Well Milotic, I would love to have you on my team, but only if you're happy. If you miss Juan at all, you can come back to him." Misty explained to the Tender Pokemon.

Milotic squealed in joy as she heard the answered. She knew she would miss her longtime trainer and friend in Juan, but she wanted to continue to battle.

"I'm glad that you're happy Milotic. But I'm going to miss you a lot." Juan said with a soft smile on his face.

The trio could tell that Juan was sad about losing his Milotic. As he put her in her pokeball and put it in the transfer machine, Misty stopped him.

"Wait, I don't know if I can accept her now. You seem really sad about giving her away." Misty explained.

"I know; it's tough for all of us, but I think it's the best thing for Milotic." Juan explained sadly.

Misty thought about it for a moment. She really liked Juan's Milotic and liked the idea of having her on her team, but she didn't want to have her if she was going to miss Juan. Misty was conflicted on what to do. But she knew that Juan was right.

"I agree with you. So let's do it. I promise I'll take good care of her." Misty answered.

"I know you will. Good luck to all of you." Juan said as he put the pokeball into the transfer machine and hung up.

The pokeball came through the machine and Misty grabbed it right away. She was reluctant about having Milotic.

"Hey Misty I have an idea. How about we go to the beach and we bring all of our water Pokemon and have a good time?" Ash suggested trying to reassure her.

"That does sound like a good idea." Misty responded cheerfully.

"Let's go get them and head out." Brock said while each of them headed towards the video phone.

They all got their water Pokemon from their respective homes. Afterwards, they all headed to the beach to have a good rest of the day.

XXX

After a long and fun day at the beach, they all headed to the Pokemon Center ready to go to bed. They all had a great day at the beach. All of their Pokemon had a great time at the beach, especially Milotic, who got along with all the Pokemon. The water Pokemon had a great time in the ocean and most of the other Pokemon had a great time on the land. After a long day, they all headed to bed.

The next day, Ash and the gang woke up rather early and were eating breakfast. Ash was excited to face a member of the Hoenn Elite Four.

"I can't wait to face one of the members of the Elite Four!" Ash cheered loudly waking up Brock and Misty.

"Jeez Ash, you didn't have to yell it." Misty replied annoyed rubbing her eyes.

"So Ash, who are you going to face?" Brock asked curiously while taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Well, I was thinking of facing Drake in a rematch." Ash answered.

"What kind of Pokemon does Drake use?" Misty asked.

"He uses dragon type Pokemon. I faced him when I traveled with Brock, May, and Max. I lost pretty badly." Ash remembered that loss.

"That stinks; I know you can beat him if you face him this time." Misty encouraged him.

"I know I can too, but that was my problem. I was over confident and that's why I lost, according to him." Ash explained.

"That is true, but you do have the Pokemon to beat him. So who are you going to use?" Brock asked.

"I know I want to use Charizard and Gabite, but I don't know who I want my third Pokemon to be." Ash answered.

"Croconaw did a good job against Juan. So why don't you use him again?" Misty suggested.

"That's a good idea, but what about Wartortle?" Ash asked.

"You could, but since some of his Pokemon can be fast, Croconaw is faster than Wartortle." Brock analyzed.

"I guess I'll use Croconaw then." Ash said.

The group finished up their breakfast and Ash went to the videophone and called Professor Oak for the Pokemon he wanted to use. After their brief conversation, Ash received Charizard and Gabite.

The gang then walked towards the main stadium. It was exactly how Ash remembered. It was the gigantic stadium in the center of the town. When he walked into the entrance, he saw a Nurse Joy receptionist, who he had to show his two badges to prove he can battle.

"What's today's date?" Ash asked.

"Today's date is August 25th." She replied. "Who would you like to face today?"

"I would like to face Drake." Ash answered confidently with his best friends and Pikachu by his side.

"Well, follow me then." She requested.

She led them to the center stadium. The stadium was huge, where there was each of the elite four members and a huge crowd. The entire stadium was packed. Fans were cheering very loudly all over the stadium. On the side of the stadium, there was a stage where the emcee was going to broadcast the entire battle. On the other side were the members of the Hoenn Elite Four seated in folding chairs. Misty and Brock wished him good luck before he went out as they went to the sidelines to cheer him on.

"Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Rich from Pokemon radio and we have our next challenger, and he is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! Please give him a round of applause!" The emcee exclaimed on the microphone.

The crowd gave a wild uproar for Ash, which was quite surprising for him and his friends. Ash was handed a microphone.

"Well, it seems like I'm well known." Ash joked.

Everyone giggled at the joke, including the members of the Elite Four.

"Why yes you are." Rich agreed while giggling. "Now, which member of our Elite Four would you like to face today?"

"I know who I want to face: I choose Drake!" Ash exclaimed enthusiastically as he pointed at the old sailor.

Everyone in the crowd gasped at the decision that he made, even Drake himself was quite surprised.

"Well then, if it's a rematch you want, it's a rematch you'll get." Drake responded.

"It appears that our two trainers have fought before! And now, we get to witness the rematch!" Rich began. "The reward will be a Hoenn Token for the upcoming tournament in February! Each trainer will use three Pokemon each! The battle will be over when one side of the trainers Pokemon are unable to battle. In addition, only the challenger may substitute his Pokemon. Are the rules clear?"

Both Drake and Ash nodded their heads in conformation.

"Well then, let the battle begin!" Rich exclaimed.

The crowd began to cheer as both trainers grabbed their first pokeballs.

"Come on out, Altaria!" The old sailor exclaimed, throwing the pokeball as the Humming Pokemon came out of her Pokeball and began to float around the stadium with the crowd cheering.

Ash reached for his pokeball, looked at it, and grinned. "I choose you, Croconaw!"

The Big Jaw Pokemon came out and was showed his excitement of battling once again buy glaring at his opponent angrily and roaring.

"Drake is starting out with his Altaria and our challenger Ash will be using Croconaw. Let us watch how this first battle will turn out." Rich exclaimed.

"Altaria start this off with dragon dance." Drake calmly ordered.

"Don't let him do it, use ice beam!" Ash ordered.

"Dodge it." Drake countered.

Altaria stopped his dragon dance and just dodged the beam of ice that was shooting out of Croconaw's mouth.

"Use aerial ace!" Drake commanded.

"Hold it Croconaw." Ash told it.

"What could Ash be thinking stopping his Pokemon?" Rich announced.

The Humming Pokemon raced towards the Big Jaw Pokemon at full speed getting ready to hit it. But that's what Ash wanted him to do.

"Now use ice punch!" Ash exclaimed.

"No; get out of the way!" Drake ordered.

Croconaw's launched his ice covered fist towards Altaria, who was already too close to dodge the attack. Once Croconaw hit it, Altaria cried in pain and got launched back on Drake's side of the field.

"Are you okay?" The captain asked worried for his Pokemon.

Altaria weakly nodded.

"Way to go Ash!" Misty cheered from the sidelines.

"What a brilliant move by Ash Ketchum! He waited for Altaria to get close and then ordered Croconaw to hit him directly with a very powerful ice punch!" Rich announced.

"Very smart move Ash, but this battle is far from over. Altaria, use earthquake!" Drake ordered.

Altaria smashed the ground as hard as it could which caused the whole stadium to shake. Everyone sitting in their seats were shaking rapidly. Some were getting sick as well.

"Woooooowwww fffooooollllks, weeeeee have a ppppowwwwerfuullllll earthquuuuuake!" Rich barely spoke because of the earthquake.

Croconaw was wincing in some pain because of the pain.

"Croconaw, jump onto Altaria!" Ash ordered.

Croconaw used his powerful hind legs to jump off from the shaking ground and landed on the Humming Pokémon's cloud shaped body.

"Get it off of you!" Drake commanded.

"Hold on by using ice fang!" Ash ordered.

Altaria began flying around as fast as she could, but Croconaw already stuck his frozen fangs onto its body, making the task nearly impossible. The frozen jaws of Croconaw caused Altaria great damaged and was dragged to the ground. Croconaw got off to see that his opponent was defeated.

"Altaria has been knocked out of the battle by Croconaw! What a great start for the challenger!" Rich announced.

Drake returned Altaria and praised it for his hard work.

"Excellent job Ash; last time you haven't been able to defeat my Pokemon." Drake praised the younger trainer. "Let's go Flygon!"

Drake threw the pokeball and came out the insect like desert dragon, who began flying around in the air.

"Do you wanna keep going Croconaw?" Ash asked his Pokemon.

Croconaw didn't look back at him, but did give him a thumbs up with his left hand.

"It looks like Croconaw will stay in to face Flygon." Rich announced.

"Do you think Croconaw will be able to sweep Drake's entire team?" Misty asked Brock curiously while holding on to both Pikachu.

"Possibly, Croconaw is powerful and would have the type advantage, but Drake has fully evolved Pokemon who are more powerful." Brock analyzed while watching the battle closely.

"Flygon, use dragon tail!" Drake ordered.

"Counter with aqua tail!" Ash countered.

Flygon's tail began to glow blue and flew down towards its target while Croconaw's tail was surrounded by water and he jumped towards his target.

Both tails collided and caused an explosion where the two Pokemon met.

"Wow, what an explosion! Two very powerful attacks met in the middle! Who will come out of it okay?" Rich announced.

As the smoke cleared, Flygon was seen flying and Croconaw was standing in staring it down.

"It seemed like nothing happened to either of them! Wow, what power they each have!" Rich announced in astonishment.

Drake was beginning to get frustrated with Croconaw, as he held an angry look on his face. "Finish this battle with dragon rush!"

Flygon began to gain speed and rushed at Croconaw as it was surrounded by a blue energy in a form of a dragon. It aimed right at Croconaw.

"Use your tail to jump!" Ash ordered.

As Flygon was getting closer and closer, Croconaw lifted his tail and used it as a spring to jump out of the way of the powerful dragon attack. Even though Croconaw didn't take it on fully, he still took a lot of damage from the aftermath.

"Now use ice beam!" Ash ordered to Croconaw while it was still in the air.

Flygon was on the ground struggling to get up. Croconaw unleashed the powerful ice attack while Flygon was still on the ground. After the smoke cleared and Croconaw landed on the ground, Flygon was completely fine.

"What is this? It seems that Flygon didn't take any damage what so ever!" Rich announced.

"How?!" Ash exclaimed questioning what just happened.

"I used protect as I knew you would somehow dodge my attack. Now finish it with dragon pulse!" Drake said angrily.

Flygon charged up and unleashed a purple ball of energy from his mouth and aimed it perfectly at Croconaw. After taking on the hit, Croconaw fell onto the ground and fainted.

"Croconaw was just knocked out by Flygon! Now the match is even! Who will Ash's next Pokemon be?" Rich announced to the ecstatic crowd.

Ash returned the Big Jaw Pokemon and praised it for it's hard work. He was now debating whether to use Gabite or Charizard next.

"_Charizard's would be good now, but I need him for his Salamence. So I think I'll stick to Gabite, just like I planned earlier." _Ash thought as he reached for the Sinnoh Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon's pokeball.

"I choose you, Gabite!" Ash exclaimed as the Cave Pokemon came out of his pokeball and had an angry look on his face, but remained calm and collected.

"Ash now sends out a very looking powerful Gabite to face Flygon! Let's see how this turns out!" Rich announced.

"Use dragon pulse!" They both exclaimed.

Both Pokemon charged up and unleashed their attacks at each other. Their attacks met in the middle of the battlefield and caused a huge explosion.

"Fly up and use dragon tail!" Drake ordered Flygon.

"Counter with dragon claw, back to back!" Ash ordered.

Flygon flew above the smoke and came charging down while its tail began to glow. Gabite used his hind legs and jumped to gain incredible speed while his claws became the same color as its opponent's tail. They met in the middle and Gabite blocked the dragon tail with his right claw and then used his left claw to hit Flygon. The Mystic Pokemon was forced back to his side of the field after being hit by Gabite's claw. Ash saw that Flygon was getting tired, so he took this opportunity to attack.

"Finish it off with a dragon pulse!" Ash ordered.

Once again, Gabite charged for the attack and unleashed it onto Flygon. Flygon took it directly and shot down to the ground, causing it to faint.

"And Flygon has been knocked out by Gabite! Ladies and Gentleman, this is starting to become one serious battle we have here!" Rich announced.

Drake recalled the fainted Pokemon. He took out his last pokeball and just smiled.

"I choose you, Salamence!" The captain exclaimed.

The Dragon Pokemon came out and roared ferociously, which caused the crowd to cheer loudly.

"And here is Salamence, Drake's most powerful Pokemon! Will Gabite be able to stand up to it?!" Rich exclaimed.

"Let's finish this battle with draco meteor!" Drake ordered.

"Counter it with your draco meteor!" Ash countered.

Both Pokemon charged up and launched their draco meteors into the air. Once they reached their maximum height, they each broke off into meteors which would spread and hit the entire battlefield.

"Dodge the attack!" They both shouted.

Both Pokemon obliged and dodged the incoming meteors that were being hit all over the field.

"Get close to Salamence and use dragonbreath!" Ash ordered.

"Use dragon claw!" Drake ordered.

While dodging the incoming meteors, they both were getting close to each other. Once they were in range, Gabite inhaled to begin his attack, but Salamence was so fast that it flew in and hit it with dragon claw before getting the chance to attack.

Being hit by the attack caused Gabite to be forced back and then it got hit by one of the meteors, causing an explosion. After the dust cleared, Gabite was found fainted on the battlefield.

"Wow, what an amazing turn of events. Both Salamence and Gabite used draco meteor and ordered to attack each other while the meteor shower was going on! Unfortunately for Ash, Gabite came out the loser in that battle." Rich announced.

Salamence flew back to his side of the field in front of his master.

"Nice try Ash, but maybe if Gabite was fully evolved, then you would have won." Drake told the young trainer.

Ash simply ignored the comment and grabbed his last pokeball. He smiled at Drake, which immediately confused him.

"You better get ready Drake! Because this is my most powerful Pokemon I have!" Ash told the Elite Four member while throwing the pokeball into the air.

The pokeball opened and out came Charizard. Once he was out, he gave out an intimidating roar, which scared the crowd. After that, he stared down the Dragon Pokemon.

"So you have a Charizard, eh? Well, this should be fun! Salamence, up in the air!" Drake ordered.

"Same with you, Charizard!" Ash ordered right back.

"The final battle will be Drake's Salamence versus Ash's Charizard! Two very powerful Pokemon indeed! Let's see who comes out on top!" Rich announced.

"Use hyper beam!" Drake ordered.

"What?!" Brock and Misty gasped.

"It seems like Drake's trying to end the battle right now!" Rich announced.

"Charizard, get in there and use dragon claw!" Ash commanded.

Charizard sped and slashed at Salamence while it was charging, which caused the hyper beam to launch up into the sky, completely missing its target. Drake himself was very surprised how fast Ash's Charizard was.

"Now since it can't move, grab hold of it and use dragonbreath!" Ash commanded.

Charizard grabbed the Dragon Pokemon and unleashed a green stream of energy from its mouth and hit Salamence at point blank range.

Salamence fell to the ground and went down, but it was far from out.

"You'll have to do more than that to stop my Salamence. Use dragonbreath!" Drake commanded.

The Dragon Pokemon quickly flew up and attacked Charizard with its own attack.

"After a series of attacks from Charizard, Salamence comes back with an attack of its own!" Rich announced.

Ash noticed that Salamence was very tired, but still had some fight left in him. Ash needed to figure out a way to distract him.

"Charizard, use dragon rage!" Ash ordered.

"Use draco meteor right at Charizard!" Drake countered.

Both Pokemon charged up and launched their attacks at each other. They both collided in the middle, causing an explosion. Both trainers knew that this would be the perfect opportunity.

"Charizard, get in close and use seismic toss!" Ash ordered.

Charizard's impressive speed proved to be useful and grabbed Salamence and began to fly up.

"Salamence, use thunder fang!" Drake exclaimed.

The Dragon Pokemon's fangs started getting electrified and bit down onto Charizard, causing him to wince in pain.

"Come on Charizard! Don't give in and finish it off now!" Ash encouraged his Pokemon.

He toughed it out and circled in the air three times before flying towards the ground and throwing Salamence.

Charizard was seen standing on Ash's side of the field, while Salamence was struggling to get up. After standing up completely, Salamence's knees began to shake and then collapsed onto the ground fainting.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Salamence is unable to battle! Charizard wins the battle! What an incredible turn of events!" Rich exclaimed the loudest of the day.

The crowd was in an uproar, chanting the Flame Pokemon's name. Ash ran up to Charizard and congratulated it while he showed his dominance by breathing fire into the air. Misty and Brock ran up besides the two of them and congratulated Ash on his victory.

"That was an awesome battle sweetie!" Misty said joyfully then kissed him unexpectedly, but was proud to kiss back.

Pikachu jumped into his arms congratulating him on his win as well.

Drake returned his loyal Pokemon and walked towards where Rich was, same with Ash.

"You've greatly improved the last time I saw you Ash. Here is your Hoenn Token, congratulations again on your victory. I'll be rooting for you in the tournament." Drake told the young man.

"Thank you Drake for an awesome battle! And the advice you gave me at that time." Ash replied accepting the Hoenn Token from the captain.

"Alright, I got my Hoenn Token!" Ash cheered while doing his victory pose.

"Nice job Ash, but we need to get back to Pallet Town as soon as possible." Brock reminded him.

"Yeah we do. Thank you very much! I'll see you all there!" Ash shouted while he was leaving.

There's chapter 26! Sorry it took so long. I think I'm starting to lose motivation to write it. I don't know what it is really. I'll be busy the next couple days. So hopefully Thursday I can post another chapter. If not, then it'll definitely be Friday.


	28. Chapter 27- Facing the Father, Son Duo

Here's the beginning of Sinnoh. It'll only be two chapters, and then the tournament will begin! So without further ado, here's chapter 27!

Chapter 27- Facing the Father, Son Duo

**Misty's POV**

Ash just beat Drake of the Hoenn Elite Four in a crazy battle. It was an unbelievable battle! I was on the edge of my seat the entire battle! I think Brock, Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic were the same way. It was such an amazing battle! It was so close too. I was really impressed with Croconaw in that battle. He took out Drake's Altaria with barely any effort and put up a great fight with Flygon; same with Gabite, even though he lost to Salamence in a very close battle. I have a great feeling he's going to evolve really soon. And once again, I'm impressed with Charizard's true power. That last battle was truly amazing. It took us a really long time to get back to Pallet Town. In fact, it took us a whole month for us to get back there. We stayed at Pallet Town for another week, where nothing much happened, and then took us at least two weeks to finally reach the Sinnoh region. We're on our way to Sandgem Town to see Professor Rowan.

**Ash's POV**

I'm almost done with getting the requirements for entering the tournament. I decided to face Drake of the Hoenn Elite Four for our rematch, and I actually won. It was a very long and stressful battle. I'm proud of all my Pokemon who battled. Croconaw showed that he was tough and took down Altaria with little effort and almost took out Flygon. Then Gabite came in and finished off Flygon and almost took down Drake's most powerful Pokemon, his Salamence. It was close, but Gabite just lost, trying to dodge both of our draco meteors and trying to attack him was a lot of it to ask I guess. Once again, Charizard came through and show his strength and finished him off. I was really upset on how long it took us to get back home. And I had to let some of the Pokemon rest as well, so we stayed there for another week. It also took another two weeks to Sinnoh and now we're on our way to see Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town.

**Normal POV**

"Here we are!" Ash exclaimed with the three humans walking into Sandgem Town.

"What's in this town?" Misty asked curiously.

"Well, this is where Professor Rowan's lab is. He's another researcher who specializes in Pokemon evolution." Brock answered.

"That's pretty cool." Misty commented interested.

"Let's go up to his lab and say hi." Ash suggested.

"Sure, why not." Misty replied.

What's today's date?" Ash asked curiously, wondering if he was on time for the tournament qualifications.

"It's already October 22nd, but you still have plenty of time." Brock answered.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure." Ash said, with a sigh of relief.

With that, the trio and three Pokemon traveled towards the lab where Rowan stayed at. They came to knock on the front door and it wasn't who they expected.

"Dawn?!" All three of them exclaimed surprisingly.

"Hey Ash, Brock, and Misty; It's been a long time! What are you guys doing here?" The blue haired girl asked cheerfully.

"We were here to make a short visit to see Professor Rowan. Are you finished with getting your qualifications for the tournament?" Ash asked very curiously.

"Yep! I just got home from the Hoenn region!" Dawn explained.

"We were just there. Did you see Ash's battle with Drake?" Brock asked the blue haired girl.

"I didn't see it live, but I was at the Pokemon Center watching it. I went right before you did." Dawn answered.

"That's awesome Dawn, then you can come travel with us through the Sinnoh region to watch Ash battles." Misty suggested.

"That's a great idea! Now let's go in and see the Professor!" Dawn said leading the gang into the lab.

Inside the lab there was everything you would expect to see in one. Equipment, computers, notes on a white board, and of course, a place for the three region starter Pokemon. In the back room, they saw an older gentleman with a two piece suit with a lab coat on top of it, who was Professor Rowan, and a much younger gentleman with brown, spikey hair.

"Gary?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey there Ashy boy. I see you're still behind me." Gary teased his childhood friend/rival.

"I only have this region to go." He informed. "And what are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, since I did finish early, Professor Rowan called me here to help him with a new discovery _we_ made." Gary bragged.

"Wow, what is it?" Brock asked curiously.

"It's a new Eevee Evolution." Professor Rowan answered.

"That's really cool!" Dawn happily commented.

"Do you know anything about it?" Misty asked.

"Unfortunately, we only know its name. We're having a difficult time discovering its type." Rowan answered.

"That stinks. Do you have any guesses on what type it could be?" Brock asked the two researchers.

"Well, we do have some theories about it," Gary began. "But the one that makes the most sense so far is that it's a new type."

"What type is it?" Misty asked.

"Light type." Gary answered quickly.

"Light?" Ash and Dawn asked confused.

"Like we said, it's only a theory. We could be completely wrong." Rowan informed the young adults.

"Oh yeah, what's its name?!" Ash enthusiastically asked.

"Its name is Sylveon." Gary answered.

"That's really cool. Did you tell anyone else?" Brock asked.

"We've been talking about this only to the other Professors. So you cannot tell anyone else about this, at least until we can get some more information about it." Rowan told the young adults.

"Yes sir; hey, how about we go out back and let our Pokemon out?" Dawn suggested.

"Good idea; we'll be in here working." Rowan told them.

"Sorry for interrupting." Misty apologized for the group.

"It's quite fine." Rowan forgave them.

With that, Ash and the gang went to the back yard and see that Dawns Pokemon were out and running around.

"Wow Dawn, you have an Empoleon and Typhlosion!" Ash happily observed.

"Yup, they evolved recently!" Dawn happily informed him. "Hey, let's see your Pokemon!"

"Alright, come on out!" Ash said throwing ten pokeballs in the air.

The ten Pokemon who came out were Tyranitar, Torterra, Charizard, Wartortle, Infernape, Espeon, Krookodile, Meganium, Croconaw, and Heracross.

"Come out everyone!" Brock and Misty exclaimed.

The Pokemon that Misty brought with her were Gyarados, Milotic, Psyduck, Azumarill, Togetic (who was never in his pokeball), Corsola, Tentacruel, Cloyster, Kingdra, and Starmie. Brock's Pokemon were Ampharos, Growlithe, Steelix, Golem, Swampert, Chansey, Croagunk, Crobat, Ludicolo, and Forretress.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of the Pokemon playing with each other and more importantly, Misty and Dawn making up.

"Can I talk to you Misty?" Dawn asked shyly.

"Sure, let's talk over there." She told the blue haired girl. "Ash, Brock, we'll be over there talking."

"Uh, okay." Ash replied confused of what was going on between those two.

Dawn and Misty went to a spot where they could talk in peace.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Misty asked curiously, crossing her arms.

"Well," Dawn began nervously. "The thing is that I know you're still mad at me about what happened between us and mad at me for having a crush on your boyfriend. I just want there to be no ill will towards each other."

Misty just stood there, listening and sinking in Dawn's apology to see if it was true. She saw the look on her face, and she could definitely tell that she wasn't lying.

"Thank you Dawn; I wanna apologize to you too." Misty replied, feeling a little guilty.

"Wait, why are you apologizing to me?" She asked confused.

"Well, I want to apologize because I was trying to tell Ash that he shouldn't be friends with you anymore. It was wrong of me. Can we forgive each other and move on?" Misty asked the slightly less confused girl.

"Yeah, let's just move on." Dawn answered.

The two girls hugged it out, confirming their newly built friendship.

"Let's get back to the guys." Misty suggested.

"That's a good idea." Dawn agreed happily.

They walked back to the guys with smile on their faces, which left Ash in total confusion.

"What did you guys talk about?" Ash asked, wondering what the girls were doing.

"We made up!" Dawn exclaimed hugging the red head.

"Yeah… we… made up." Misty barely said because she was being hugged tightly by the red head.

"Uh Dawn, that's great, but don't kill her." Ash joked.

"Oh, sorry about that." Dawn giggled, letting her new best friend go.

"Hey guys, let's hurry up and get to Oreburgh City!" Ash shouted loudly.

"Ash, we just got here. Let's stay here for the day and we can travel there tomorrow." Brock said, calming the hyperactive trainer.

"Fine." Ash mumbled to himself like a little child, crossing his arms and his head down.

"Stop being such a kid." Dawn joked at the black haired trainer.

Everyone laughed at the joke, except Ash. Everyone else had a great rest of the day, and at the end, they returned their Pokemon and went to bed in the lab.

The next morning, Ash and the gang, with the addition of Dawn, said their goodbyes to Professor Rowan and Gary and wished them luck on their research. Because of no delays, they reached Oreburgh City with no delays what so ever. Once they reached the city, Ash bolted right to the gym to challenge Roark once again for a badge, leaving everyone else behind.

"Ash certainly has some energy to kill." Dawn commented, rubbing dust off from her face.

"He's always been like that. You should know by now." Misty reminded the blue haired girl.

"Let's hurry up and catch him." Brock suggested.

Once they caught up, they found Ash at the entrance walking into the gym. They followed right behind him. Ash was certainly happy to see Roark, but surprised to see his dad, Byron, with him as well.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Ash happily asked the father and son.

"Are you here to challenge us?" Roark asked him.

"I thought you were going to be the only one here, but I guess I am now." Ash answered happily.

"Good, because there's a reward for you if you beat us." Byron informed the Pallet Town trainer.

"What is it?" Ash asked curiously.

"Instead of winning one badge, you get to win two badges. The Mine Badge from myself and the Coal Badge from my son." Byron answered the eager trainer.

"Awesome, let's do it then!" Ash cheered.

Ash took to his side of the battlefield while Dawn, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic went to the sidelines to cheer him on.

"This will be a double battle. The first trainer to lose both of their Pokemon first loses. Do you understand?" The referee informed.

Ash, Roark, and Byron simply nodded his head.

"Good, let the battle begin!" The referee announced, waving both flags he had in his hands.

"I choose you, Rampardos!" Roark exclaimed

"And I choose you, Bastiodon!" Byron exclaimed.

The Headbutt Pokemon and the Shield Pokemon came out of their pokeballs and took their battle stances on their side of the field.

"I know just the two Pokemon to use," Ash whispered to himself. "I choose you, Torterra and Tyranitar!"

The Continent Pokemon and the Armor Pokemon came out of their pokeballs and took battle stances as well.

"Go Ash, you can do it!" Dawn cheered.

"Kick their butts Ash!" Misty cheered.

"Let's win this dad." Roark said to his father.

Byron nodded towards his son. "You have the first move Ash."

"You'll regret it. Tyranitar, use earthquake and Torterra, use razor leaf on Rampardos." Ash commanded.

The gigantic Armor Pokemon stomped its foot onto the ground, causing it to ferociously shake. While the Continent Pokemon released a bunch of razor leafs at its target, which was Rampardos.

"Use flamethrower!" Roark ordered.

"Use Iron Defense!" Byron ordered.

Both Rampardos and Bastiodon were struggling to focus because of the damage they were taking. But they both obliged and did their attacks. Rampardos burned the leaves that were thrown at it and Bastiodon turned itself to complete steel, taking some damage.

"Now it's our turn. Rampardos, use flamethrower on Torterra!" Roark commanded.

"And Bastiodon, use flamethrower on Torterra as well!" Byron commanded.

Both Pokemon opened their mouths and spat their powerful fire attacks right at Torterra.

"Quick Tyranitar, get in front and use protect!" Ash ordered.

Once the flamethrowers started going, Tyranitar jumped in front and created a green, protective shield that protected both him and Torterra from the fire attack.

"Torterra, use frenzy plant!" Ash ordered.

The Continent Pokemon grew roots and stuck them into the ground. With that, the roots kept growing and getting larger, making their way towards his opponents Pokemon.

"Use iron defense!" Byron yelled.

The Shield Pokemon got in front of the Headbutt Pokemon and covered himself with iron, which increased his defenses and stopped the attacks right in its tracks and causing the roots to go back into Torterra.

"Now Rampardos, use zen headbutt on Torterra!" Roark commanded.

Rampardos jumped over Bastiodon and his head began to glow while running towards the defenseless Continent Pokemon.

"Tyranitar, stop him in his tracks with ice fang!" Ash commanded.

Everyone was observing from the sidelines, growing concerned for Ash.

"That's really risky Ash." Brock mumbled to himself.

"This is getting a little long, don't you think?" Dawn asked everyone concerned for Ash.

"Yeah, the longer this battle gets, the more likely Ash will lose." Misty added.

On the battlefield, The Headbutt Pokemon and the Armor Pokemon collided with each other. Tyranitar had his fangs right on top of Rampardos's head. Both weren't giving an inch. Luckily for Ash and Tyranitar, ice fang worked and began to freeze Rampardos until his entire body became frozen solid.

"No Rampardos!" Roark yelled, worried for his Pokemon.

"Tyranitar, use iron tail to break him out of the ice." Ash ordered.

The Armor Pokemon's shield turned into iron as he swung at the frozen Headbutt Pokemon. Once he hit, the ice broke and became unfrozen.

"Finish it off with brick break!" Ash ordered.

Tyranitar jumped with all his might, with his right arm glowing. With one smooth motion, he chopped onto the already weak Rampardos, and knocked him out unconscious.

"Rampardos is unable to battle." The referee announced.

"Now Torterra, use energy ball!" Ash commanded.

The Continent Pokemon began to form a green ball in his mouth and then unleashed it on the Shied Pokemon. Bastiodon just shook it off like it was nothing.

"Man, Bastiodon's stronger than I thought." Ash mumbled to himself.

"Use flamethrower on Torterra!" Byron ordered.

Bastiodon unleashed the powerful flame from his mouth and directly hit Torterra. The continent Pokemon was in a lot of pain.

"Now finish it with iron head!" Byron exclaimed.

Bastiodon began slowly running towards Torterra being surrounded by a grey, metal aura as he was approaching his target.

"Torterra, use synthesis and Tyranitar, use a double brick break to stop Bastiodon in his tracks!" Ash quickly exclaimed.

Torterra was surrounded by green energy, which was helping him heal himself, while Tyranitar was at big risk by being in front of him. Both of the Armor Pokemon's arms glowed as he prepared to attack the incoming Shield Pokemon.

"Now!" Ash ordered.

Both Bastiodon and Tyranitar's attacks collided with each other, creating a huge explosion in the middle of the battlefield. In fact, it was so powerful, that the wind from it caused the trainers to shield their eyes from the incoming dust. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon stood in the center staring at each other, while Torterra was completely recovered. They continued to stare at each other, then they both collapsed, fainting in the process.

"Bastiodon and Tyranitar are both unable to battle. And since both Pokemon on the gym leaders side are knocked out, our challenger Ash Ketchum is the winner!" The referee announced waving the green flag towards Ash's side of the battlefield.

"Alright Ash, you won!" Dawn cheered gleefully while running onto the field.

"Way to go Ash!" Brock cheered, catching up with Dawn.

"Wait for me!" Misty complained. "Way to go Ash!"

"Thanks a lot everyone!" Ash thanked his best friends.

"That was an awesome battle Ash." Roark complemented the Pallet Town trainer.

"A great battle indeed. You beat the father, son duo. And here is your reward from me: The Mine Badge." Byron said happily, handing him the badge.

"And here's the Coal Badge from me." Roark added, doing the same thing that his father did.

"Thank you both for a tough battle." Ash thanked the father and son while taking the badges from him.

"Alright, I got the Mine and Coal Badge!" Ash celebrated, doing his famous victory pose.

"Pi Pikachu!" The yellow mouse added.

Ash returned his Pokemon and him and the gang parted ways with Byron and Roark, leaving the Oreburgh Gym.

There's chapter 27! One more chapter and the big tournament will begin! I've got big plans for it! Just you wait and see. Unfortunately, my spring break will be over after this weekend -_- but I think I can get at least the last chapter in this weekend (Hopefully because I'm working and got plans this weekend.) Until next time, see ya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated!


	29. Chapter 28- Finally Finished

Here it is! The last chapter before the tournament! I'm very excited to get the tournament started! I'll let you know more about it later though. Without further ado, here's chapter 28!

Chapter 28- Finally Finished

**Misty's POV**

Ash just defeated the father, son duo of Roark and Byron, who apparently use rock and steel Pokemon. I love the Sinnoh region! It's so beautiful! There are a lot of beautiful scenes and towns here in this region. I like this region much more than I do Hoenn. We've been traveling through the Sinnoh region and doing a lot of training and sightseeing, which is really romantic. It's especially great because that I've made my friendship with Dawn stronger over the past month as we continued to travel together. Now we're arriving at the Lily of Valley Conference, where Ash has to fight one of the members of the elite four. He's very excited! From what he tells me, the Sinnoh elite four is the toughest of them all. I wonder who he'll face.

**Ash's POV**

Thanks to Roark and Byron, they've made my journey a lot easier. Winning two badges from them at the same time has made it shorter. We've been traveling for the last month, doing lots of training and sightseeing, which Misty loves. She says that she loves the Sinnoh region. I had a good feeling that she would. This trip has been a lot nicer since Misty and Dawn have made up. During some of our training, Buizel evolved into Floatzel and Brock's Croagunk evolved into Toxicroak, which was awesome! Now we've finally arrived at the Lily of the Valley Conference, where I will be facing one of the toughest members of the elite four!

**Normal POV**

"We're here guys!" Dawn exclaimed as the group stepped off the boat.

They all stepped off the boat and they all stared at the collection of stadiums that stood in front of them. There were four total stadiums, with three stadiums on the outside forming a triangle and one bigger stadium in the center. They began to walk towards the center stadium. Once they entered, they were in the Pokemon Center part of the stadium. So they began to walk towards the Nurse Joy who ran the Center.

"Hi there, how may I help you today?" The kind, pink haired woman asked.

"I would like to face an elite four member." Ash responded with confidence in his voice.

"Alright, I need to see your Pokedex and the two badges you've earned from this region." She requested.

Ash then reached into his pocket to pull out the case he kept his badges in and gave her the case full of badges, plus the tokens, and his Pokedex. She placed them in their respective areas so they could be scanned. Once that was completed, she then gave the items back to the eager Pallet Town trainer.

"Alright, everything clears. This will be your last battle before you can enter the tournament. Just follow me to the main stadium." Joy requested, leading them to the main stadium.

The gang obliged and followed her to the entrance of the main stadium. She opened the doors and they all walked into a full stadium with the crowd roaring. They saw a stage just outside the battle arena, with a radio announcer and each of the elite four members.

"This is definitely déjà vu." Ash said in a nervous tone.

"Don't worry Ash; we all believe in you." Dawn said trying to bring confidence in his voice.

"Yes we do. Now go out there and kick some ass." Misty whispered in Ash's ear while pulling him in for a hug.

"Thanks guys." Ash thanked his friends.

Then they made their way towards the sideline seats where they can sit to watch the battle up close. The announcer spoke into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentleman, today is November 22nd and we have our first challenger, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Rich exclaimed into the microphone.

The crowd cheered wildly for his name. Ash loved every minute of it, but he learned to keep his composure and just smiled and waved back.

Misty, Brock, Dawn, Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic were sitting on the sideline seats and Misty knew exactly what Ash was doing.

"Ash loves every minute of it." Misty laughed out.

"He seems really calm and collected." Dawn observed seriously.

"He's learned to control himself." Brock told Dawn, smiling.

"We're here with our special guest, the Sinnoh Champion herself Cynthia!" Rich spoke into the microphone.

Everyone cheered louder for their champion, while Ash and the gang looked at her in surprise.

Cynthia stood up and waved to the crowd. She was a very beautiful woman. Her light blonde hair flowed perfectly. She was wearing a black t shirt with black jeans.

"Thank you, people of Sinnoh! I know this young man very well! Whoever he chooses to battle, it'll be a battle to remember!" The Sinnoh Champion spoke into the microphone while giving Ash a warm smile.

"Now Ash, you get to choose which elite four member you would like to face. Who will you decide?" Rich asked Ash in a serious matter.

That's when the crowd went into dead silence. The Pallet Town trainer looked and observed each member of the Sinnoh Elite Four from left to right. The first one he observed was Aaron.

Aaron was the Elite Four member who loved bug type Pokemon. He looked relaxed in his chair. He had short, green hair, with one strand that stood straight up. He had eyes that matched his hair color. He was about the same height of Ash, if not an inch taller. He was wearing a black sleeveless shirt with an orange design on it. He was also wearing a pair of orange skinny jeans, which matched the design on his shirt. He thought about it, but decided not to battle him.

The member in the chair next to him was Bertha. This member of the Elite Four was nicknamed "The Ground Type Guru". She too also looked relax. She was a short, elderly woman who had brown eyes and gray hair. She was wearing long, black skirt and a red tee shirt. She was also wearing a white trench coat with a brown scarf. He did bring his water type Pokemon with him, so they would be a good match up, but he didn't want to battle him.

In the next chair was Lucian. This member was known as the most powerful of the elite four with his psychic type Pokemon. He had long purple hair and had purple eyes. He was also wearing purple sun glasses. Unlike the other members, he was wearing a three piece suit. The main color of the suit was maroon, his dress shirt was black, and his vest was also maroon. He was considerably taller than Ash. He didn't really look that interested as he was reading his book. Ash didn't want to battle someone who didn't look interested.

The final member sitting in the far right chair was Flint. He was known as the most powerful fire type. Like the other members, he was older than Ash. He had a red afro and gray eyes. Flint's attire was a yellow collared shirt with black pants and a red belt, wearing flip flops on his feet. He was the only member that Ash had battled before and got swept by his Infernape. Ash began to wonder who his other team members were. Flint looked at Ash with a confident grin on his face. Ash had mentally decided that he would battle Flint.

"So Ash, after some thinking, have you decided which member you wanted to face?" Rich asked.

"Yes; the member I wanna face is Flint!" Ash exclaimed, pointing at him.

"I accept your challenge, Ash." Flint said while standing up and walking towards his side of the battlefield.

"It looks like Ash Ketchum decides to challenge Flint!" Rich spoke.

"I've spoken to Flint and he told me that he's battled Ash before and won. I think that's why Ash wanted to battle him." Cynthia predicted.

"Let's see if Ash will get his way this time." Rich spoke seriously, indicating to bring the attention to the battlefield.

The battlefield was exactly like the battle field where he battle Gary on at the Silver Conference. The rocky terrain had huge stones sticking out of the ground everywhere.

After the referee explained the rules of the match, both trainers reached for their first pokeball.

"I'm not that surprised you wanted a rematch. You better give it all you got, cause I'm not going easy on you." Flint told the young trainer with his confident smile.

"Good, I don't want you too. I want you at your best." Ash replied confidently.

"That's what I like about you Ash." Flint complimented. "Enough talk now, let's battle. Go Flareon!"

The Flame Pokemon came out of its spherical home and went into a battle stance right away. It was beautifully groomed, with its reddish-orange fur shining very brightly. The fluff on its collar, tail, and on the top of its head were also groomed very nicely.

Brock, Misty, and Dawn looked at the Flareon from the sidelines

"That's a nice looking Flareon there. Obviously he groomed it very well." Brock observed closely, as he had the most knowledge of breeding.

"It does look very beautiful, but does it mean it's powerful?" Misty questioned, letting her competitive side take over a bit.

"We'll see." Dawn said eager to see who Ash will choose.

"It's time for your first battle." Ash mumbled to himself. "I choose you, Floatzel!"

The Sea Weasel Pokemon came out glaring at its opponent, and then smiled. Floatzel's personality didn't change much after he evolved. He was still cocky and confident with his ability, and never backed down from a challenge.

"Let the battle begin!" The referee exclaimed, raising a green and red flag in each hand in the air.

"Flareon, start this with will o wisp!" Flint ordered, pointing at his target.

Flareon shot out a bunch of medium sized, purple fire balls from his mouth shot it at Floatzel. But Ash knew exactly knew how to counter it.

"Use the water gun counter shield." Ash calmly ordered.

Floatzel shot out water gun while spinning, which formed a shield of water surrounding Floatzel. While taking out the will o wisp, it also began to make his way towards Flareon and hit the Flame Pokemon, causing it damage.

"Excellent, now finish this battle with an aqua jet!" Ash ordered.

The Sea Weasel Pokemon jumped forward towards the Flame Pokemon, covering himself in water. Flareon stood no chance as he was trying to recover from the counter shield.

Once Floatzel finished his attack, he stood over his opponent, checking to make sure he was finished. The referee was doing the same.

"Flareon is unable to battle, Floatzel wins!" The referee exclaimed, pointing the green flag at Ash's side.

Half of the crowd cheered while the other half went silent. That's when they could tell where Ash's real fans were in the crowd.

"Not bad Ash. You've definitely gotten stronger. But let's see you deal with this!" Flint exclaimed as he chucked his pokeball in the air.

When it opened, the Pokemon that came out was a Rapidash. The fire horse came out and neighed very loudly while getting on his hind legs. The flames on Rapdash's back were flaming high and mighty.

"Let's finish this quick Floatzel. Use hydro pump!" Ash exclaimed.

"Use agility and double edge." Flint commanded calmly.

Floatzel charged up and unleashed the mass energy of water at the fire horse. But unfortunately for Ash and Floatzel, Flint's Rapidash was easily able to dodge the powerful water attack and quickly run into the Sea Weasel, knocking it down onto the ground.

"Come on Floatzel, I know you can get up!" Ash encouraged his Pokemon.

"Now use sunny day." Flint ordered again in the same, calm tone.

The sun became very bright, blinding everyone in the stadium.

"Why is he using sunny day?" Dawn asked while covering her eyes from the blinding sun.

"I don't know." Misty answered doing the same thing.

"Now use solarbeam." Flint commanded while pointing at its target.

Because of the sunny day, solarbeam was able to charge up a lot quicker than normal. When Rapidash finished charging up, he unleashed on the still down Floatzel, causing an explosion.

"No, Floatzel!" Ash screamed in concern for his Pokemon.

Once the smoke cleared, Floatzel was still down and had no intentions on getting back up.

"Floatzel is unable to battle, Rapidash wins!" The referee announced, pointing the red flag towards Flint.

The crowd cheered for the home region elite four member's quick comeback victory. Ash, Misty, and Dawn were all shocked to see what had happened. But Ash quickly snapped out of it and returned the fainted Sea Weasel.

"How did Ash lose so fast?" Dawn asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"With the effects of sunny day, not only do fire attacks increase in power and water attacks decrease, it also helps with speeding up the process of attacks like solarbeam and not needing a recharge." Brock explained.

"I hope Ash picks the right Pokemon next." Misty said in concern for her boyfriend.

"So Ash, who's going down next?" Flint taunted his opponent.

That caused Ash to grit his teeth in anger. He quickly grabbed the next pokeball, knowing who it was.

"Crawdaunt, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed while throwing the pokeball.

The Rogue Pokemon came out and was ready for battle.

"_I need to take out that sun before he uses solarbeam again. Wait, I know how." _Ash thought with a smile crawling onto his face.

"Use solarbeam again!" Flint ordered.

"Dodge and use rain dance!" Ash ordered.

Rapidash unleashed the powerful grass attack, but Crawdaunt was able to fully dodge the attack. Afterwards, Crawdaunt made a rain cloud appear in the middle of the battlefield and it began pouring in the stadium, soaking everybody.

"It looks like we're going to have an all-out weather battle today." Rich shivered out while trying to cover himself up from the rain.

"Now use hydro pump!" Ash ordered.

The Rogue Pokemon unleashed the already powerful water attack at the Fire Horse, knowing that he was able to dodge the attack.

"Use agility and double edge!" Flint ordered.

Flint's Rapidash was able to dodge the hydro pump with ease and began to get closer towards its opponent. But what Flint didn't know was that that's what Ash wanted. Ash didn't order his Pokemon until Rapidash got close enough.

"Now use crab hammer!" Ash ordered.

"What?!" Flint shouted in surprise.

Rapidash was about to hit Crawdaunt, but he hit Rapidash with his gigantic claws. And thanks to the rain dance increase of water moves, knocked out the Fire Horse Pokemon with one swoop.

"Rapidash is unable to battle, Crawdaunt is the winner!" The referee announced.

Only a part of the stadium cheered for Ash, mostly from the sidelines. Flint returned his Pokemon and praised for a job well done. As soon as that battle ended, the rain cloud disappeared and it stopped raining. Flint didn't usually get nervous because he was always ahead in his battles with trainers, but this time was getting nervous. But he picked up his last pokeball and looked at it with great confidence.

"Come on out Infernape!" Flint exclaimed.

The Flame Pokemon came out and looked ready to battle. Ash instantly became nervous as soon as he saw Flint's Infernape. That was the Pokemon who swept his entire team the first time they battled.

"Come on Crawdaunt, use surf!" Ash ordered.

"Mach punch!" Flint countered.

As Crawdaunt was readying his attack, Infernape quickly hit the Rogue Pokemon, making him stop his attack. The impact of the mach punch made Crawdaunt fly back onto his back in front of his trainer, but quickly got back up.

"Now use close combat!" Flint ordered.

The fire monkey leaped quickly towards the giant crab and began to hit it with his fists. Crawdaunt couldn't do much but take the damage. Until Ash thought of a strategy to get him out.

"Crawdaunt, use waterfall to get yourself outta there!" Ash exclaimed.

Crawdaunt charged up and launched itself in the air away from Infernape using waterfall. Everyone looked up at Crawdaunt.

"Now use crab hammer!" Ash ordered.

"Use mach punch!" Flint ordered.

Infernape used his legs to jump towards the falling crab while Crawdaunt used his momentum from falling to gain speed and attack Infernape. Both attacks met in the middle and afterwards, caused them to be thrown back at their sides of the battlefield. They were barely standing up. They took one look at each other, and Crawdaunt fell to the ground unconscious.

"Crawdaunt is unable to battle, Infernape wins!" The referee announced, pointing the flag towards Flint's side of the field.

Ash returned and praised Crawdaunt for his hard work. He looked down towards his belt and wondered who he was going to use next. He thought about it and he picked up the pokeball with great confidence.

"I choose you, Wartortle!" Ash exclaimed.

The Turtle Pokemon came out of its pokeball and was ready to battle. Wartortle looked back at his trainer with confidence and gave him a thumbs up and then put on its famous sunglasses. Everyone looked so surprise, except for the trio of Ash, Brock, and Misty.

"Uh, is Ash's Wartortle wearing sunglasses?" Rich asked in confusion.

"Well, at least Wartortle's got some style." Cynthia complimented.

"Why is Wartortle wearing sunglasses?" Dawn asked Brock and Misty in confusion.

"When Ash first met Wartortle as a Squirtle, he was a troublemaker. He was abandoned and wore those sunglasses, indicating that he was the leader." Misty answered.

"Aw, that's so sad." Dawn moaned.

"Well, he's been a part of Ash's team ever since." Brock added.

"Alright, it doesn't matter what it looks like. So Infernape, use mach punch." Flint ordered.

"Counter with a water gun!" Ash ordered.

Infernape launched itself at Wartortle, but the turtle was able to hit the fire monkey dead on accurate because of his training with the Squirtle Squad. Infernape was flung back because of the hit of the water gun. Flint got really mad very fast and began to lose his cool, getting as heated as his fire Pokemon and his hair.

"Come on Infernape, keep using mach punch!" Flint yelled.

Infernape got right back up and began to swing at Wartortle. Wartortle didn't need any orders to dodge the attacks, so he kept dodging swiftly. The more he dodged, the more mad Infernape and Flint got.

"Use hydro pump!" Ash ordered.

Wartortle jumped back and stuck his head, arms, and legs into his body and unleashed began to spin and unleash the barrage of water from inside his shell and hit the fire monkey, causing him to fall on his back. At this point, Flint was nervous and mad at the same time. It was unusual for him to lose his cool.

"I've had enough of this! Infernape hit it with a thunder punch!" Flint shouted.

Infernape got up and hit the unexpected Wartortle with a powerful thunder punch, which caused it to fall onto his shell.

"No, Wartortle!" Ash shouted in concern.

"Use another one!"

The Flame Pokemon got on top of the Turtle and hit it with another thunder punch. After he attacked, he backed off, assuming that Wartortle couldn't battle anymore.

"Come on Wartortle, stand up! I know you can!" Ash encouraged.

Wartortle was struggling to stand up onto his feet. He looked like he was going to faint at any moment.

"It looks like Wartortle is unable to battle. Is this it for Ash?!" Rich announced.

"Knowing his Pokemon, I'd say the battle has just begun." Cynthia guessed.

The Sinnoh Champion was correct, as Wartortle began to glow white and grow larger until he finished with his full evolution into Blastoise.

"Oh my goodness! I've never seen this before! A Pokemon on the brink of losing and evolving right in the middle of battle! I guess you were right Cynthia!" Rich announced enthusiastically.

"Blastoise use hydro pump!" Ash ordered.

The newly evolved Blastoise aimed his two cannons at Infernape and launched the powerful water attack right at it and hit it directly. Infernape took the hit full on and landed on his back. Infernape struggled to get back up, but he couldn't help to do it.

"Infernape is unable to battle, Blastoise wins, which means Ash Ketchum is the winner!" The referee announced.

The crowd cheered for the winner of the battle. Misty, Brock, and Dawn all ran up to Ash and his new Blastoise to congratulate them both.

"Nice job Ash!" Dawn cheered for him.

"Way to go Ash!" Misty cheered while bringing him in for a hug.

"Nice job Ash!" Brock congratulated with a pat on the back.

"Thanks guys!" Ash thanked his best friends.

Meanwhile, Rich, Cynthia, and Flint all met up with the gang in the center of the field.

"That was an intense battle Ash. In fact, that was the first time I've lost in a long time. Doesn't matter though; You beat me, so here's the Sinnoh token." Flint congratulated while handing him the small, gold coin with the letter S and the number 1 on it.

"Thanks Flint!" Ash thanked him happily. "That was a great battle!"

"So Ash, is that your final battle before entering the tournament?" Rich asked while camera crews were appearing in the center of the field.

"Yes it was." Ash answered nervously.

"Well you know what that means right? You can now enter the tournament!" Cynthia informed the young Pallet Town trainer. "But it doesn't start until the end of February, so you have three months until it starts."

"Oh wow!" Ash replied in awe.

"Well thank you all so very much, but we gotta get outta here!" Misty nervously said and grabbed Ash and got out of the mob of camera men and interviewers.

XXX

Surprisingly, it only took them a whole day to get home from Sinnoh. Well, Cynthia gave Ash and his friends an all expense trip back to Pallet Town on her personal jet. Dawn didn't join them, she decided to stay home with her mom.

Most of the week was spent relaxing and seeing their Pokemon. Professor Oak was informed of some vital information.

"Ash, Misty, Brock, I've just received an announcement from the league." Oak informed the young group of trainers.

"What is it Professor?" Ash asked.

"Well, I just got an email today about the tournament and it said all trainers need to get there as soon as they collected their badges and tokens." Oak answered.

"Why though?" Ash asked.

"According to the email, they need a total count of all the people participating." Oak explained. "It's November 30th, so I suggest you go."

"Let's get going now!" Ash happily exclaimed as he dragged along his girlfriend and Brock.

XXX

Finally, there's chapter 28! It took me a very long time to write this chapter. So next will be the entrance to the tournament! It'll be exciting! Full of twists and turns! I can't wait to get started on it! Until next time, see ya!


	30. Chapter 29- One Giant Reunion

Here we go! This is the beginning of the tournament arc! But spoiler, there won't be any battles this chapter, but very important events will happen during this chapter! So without further ado, here's chapter 29!

Chapter 29- One Giant Reunion!

"We're finally here!" Ash happily exclaimed as he jumped high into the air, pumping his right fist. Then he sprinted towards the Indigo Plateau, leaving his girlfriend, Elektra, and Brock in the dust and Pikachu barely being able to hold on.

"Wait up Ash!" Misty yelled at him with her, Elektra barely hanging on to Misty's shoulder, and Brock sprinting to catch up to him.

As they all ran up towards the main stadium, Ash had stopped right in his tracks right outside of the Pokemon Center. Brock and Misty were able to catch up to him and gave him a confused look on why he stopped.

"Hey Ash, are you okay?" Brock asked concerned.

As Ash stared at awe at the five stadiums, he was having a flashback of his first time here at the Indigo League. He remembered from his first battle against Mandy, who was incredibly rude to him, but got what he deserved when Ash beat him to a pulp with just his Kingler. He then was victorious in the other stadiums with the support of Brock and Misty, except for the all grass field, where he defeated Jeanette all by himself. Then he made it to the round of sixteen, where he lost to his now good friend Ritchie.

"_Man, there are a lot of memories here. It's great that I'm coming back here with Brock and Misty again, especially as my girlfriend. I wonder if Ritchie will be here." _Ash thought as he felt a smack to the back of the head.

"Hello Ash, what's going on with you?" Misty asked with a bit of anger in her voice.

"Wha, what happened?" Ash asked who was completely clueless of what was going on around him, causing Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Elektra to fall anime style.

"You completely spaced out on us Ash. Are you sure you're okay?" Brock asked to make sure that Ash wasn't going crazy.

"Yeah Brock-o, I'm fine. It's just a lot of memories here." Ash said with a nostalgic tone.

"Yeah, there is. This is where you first competed." Misty replied with the same voice as Ash. "You know you wouldn't have made it as far as you did without us."

"Hey." Ash replied, feeling offended by that remark.

"I was only joking, but you know it's true." Misty teased the Pallet Town trainer.

He thought about it for a second, and thought it would be true. "I guess you're right. Now let's get to the Pokemon Center!"

Ash sprinted towards the Pokemon Center, and again leaving Misty and Brock in the dust. Once they caught up, they all entered the Pokemon Center. This Pokemon Center is much bigger than the usual Pokemon Centers they usually have in the Kanto Region. They walked to the center of the building to where Nurse Joy was.

"Hello there everyone, are you all entering the tournament?" The kind, red headed Nurse Joy asked.

"Yes mam." The trio all answered.

"I just need your information." She requested kindly.

"I'm Brock Harrison, and I used to be the leader of the Pewter City Gym." Brock introduced himself.

"I'm Misty Waterflower, and I'm the Cerulean City Gym leader." Misty kindly introduced herself.

Nurse Joy began to type in their names for registration. Once she finished, she looked at the two trainers standing next to Ash.

"You're information is in. Welcome to the Pokemon Tournament. It'll begin on February 28th, which is two months from now. So train hard." Joy kindly explained to them.

"What about me?" Ash asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry young man. I didn't know you were entering as well. I need your Pokedex, your badges, and your tokens." Joy requested from the young man.

"Oh, sure, hold on." Ash said as he reached for his items.

The first item he pulled out was his Pokedex. It was the same Pokedex he had throughout the Unova Region. It was grey and relatively smaller than any of the other Pokedex he's owned. After he handed up the Pokedex, he gave her his red, rectangular badge case. They were organized in a rectangular shaped order, for each region. In the first rectangle, the Kanto Token, given by Bruno, was in the top spot, while the Thunder Badge and the Marsh Badge filled the bottom two spots, defeating Lt. Surge and Sabrina. The next triangle was filled with the Johto Token, given by Karen, at top, with the Zephyr Badge and the Glacier Badge in the other two spots, given by Faulkner and Pryce. The next triangle was the Hoenn Token, given by Drake, at top, with the Balance Badge and the Rain Badge, given by Norman and Wallace. Then in the Sinnoh rectangle, the Sinnoh Token on top, given by Flint, with the Coal Badge and the Mine Badge, given by father and son Byron and Roark. Once he gave her the badges and tokens, she scanned his information. Once she was finished, she handed everything back to him.

"Here you are Ash Ketchum. You are now entered in the tournament. It starts on February 28th. Train hard and good luck to you." Joy kindly informed the trainer from Pallet Town.

"Thanks." Ash replied happily.

As Ash and the gang were about to leave the Pokemon Center, someone raced in through the front door and knocked Ash down onto his back. Misty was downright confused while Brock knew who it was instantly.

"Who do you think you are?!" The man yelled. "I'm going to have to fine you for that!"

"Barry?" Ash spat out while still recovering from the injury.

"Oh, hey there Ash!" Barry exclaimed in excitement.

"Hey Barry, it's nice to see you again." Ash replied. "Are you competing?"

"You better believe I am! And I'm going to win!" Barry spoke with such confidence.

"Hey Barry." Brock said calmly.

"Hey there Brock. Who's the red head?" Barry asked very clueless.

"The name's Misty! And why did you run over my boyfriend?!" Misty yelled the tall, blonde haired man.

"Sheesh, what's her problem?" He asked irritated. "And what do you mean by-"

Before Barry could finish his sentence, Misty pulled out her "mallet of doom", according to Ash, and unleashed it on him. After Barry was beaten to a pulp, he decided to just walk away and sign up.

"You still carry that thing around?" Ash asked curiously, pointing at the mallet.

"Yes I do. It was for you when you act stupid, but I needed that for him." Misty answered happily.

Ash was now officially more afraid of his girlfriend. He was tortured with that mallet as long as he knew her.

XXX

They got out of the Pokemon Center and walked towards the village in which trainers stay at during the tournament. As they began to go towards the village, they ran into Drew, May, Dawn, and Kenny.

"Hey! Ash, Misty, and Brock! It's great to see you all again!" May screamed in pure happiness.

"It's nice to see you too May, Drew, Dawn, and Kenny!" Ash exclaimed.

Ash and Brock began to make their way towards the group to catch up with them. Meanwhile, Misty looked at her and the green haired man with the rose in his mouth very curiously.

"Hey May," Misty whispered and told her to come to her. "Who is he? He's pretty cute. Are you two dating?"

"Well, uh, his name's Drew. We've been, um, traveling together again." May nervously mumbled out only loud enough for only Misty to hear.

"You didn't answer my question." Misty said slyly.

"I'm trying to work on it." May replied, answering her question and giving her a 'please stop talking about it' look.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll get you two together." Misty reassured the nervous, brown haired girl.

After their conversation, everyone was ready to go to their cabins. They made it to their front of the cabin, but before entering, they heard a familiar voice that they hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Ash!" Someone behind him yelled.

He turned around and as soon as he heard the voice and saw his face, he grew a huge smile on his face. "Ritchie!"

They both ran towards each other, with both Pikachu on their shoulders respectively.

Ritchie was Ash's first friendly rivalry at the Indigo Plateau, where they met each other all those years ago.

Ritchie and Ash both looked a lot alike and have a lot in common. You could say that they looked like brothers, or even cousins. Ritchie had the same, messy hair as Ash, except it was brown, and he always wore a hat. He wore similar clothes that Ash wore, both have the same dreams of being Pokemon masters, and both have a Pikachu.

Pikachu and Sparky hopped off their master's shoulder and began socializing. They were later joined by Misty's Pikachu, Elektra and her Togetic.

"It's been forever!" Ash exclaimed towards the trainer.

"I know! Are you competing?" Ritchie asked curiously.

"You know I am! And I'm going to win!" Ash bragged.

"Oh yeah? You'll have to get through me first!" Ritchie countered.

"Yeah!"

As soon as Ash heard that, he felt a giant whack on top of his head and he instantly fell on the ground in defeat.

"What was that?" Ritchie asked slightly scared.

"It's Misty's 'Mallet of Doom' and she uses it whenever she wants." Brock briefly explained to Ritchie.

"I use it when my Ashy needs his ego checked." Misty teased the Pallet Town trainer, who was still lying on the ground.

"Ashy?" Ritchie asked curiously giggling.

"Do you wanna tell him?" Ash asked Misty, getting up and recovering from the mini beating he took.

"I prefer not." Misty shyly told him.

"Tell me what?" Ritchie asked, desperately wanting to know now.

"We gotta get going Ritchie." Misty told him, being felt like she was being hurried, pulling Ash and Brock away from the other trainer.

"Let's hang out soon!" Ash shouted to the now very confused trainer.

XXX

It was early afternoon and trainers kept walking towards the Pokemon Center of the Indigo Plateau to sign in. But there was one trainer in particular who was determined to win at all costs: Paul.

He was walking with his hands in his pockets and wore the same angry scowl he always had. His purple hair was just above his eyes in the front, while it grew more in the back. He was wearing black jeans, a black fleece with three purple stripes running down on the sleeves, with a purple tee shirt underneath. He walked into the Indigo Plateau Pokemon Center with his purple eyes full of determination and with one goal: to come out on top.

"I need to see your Pokedex, badges, and tokens please." Joy kindly requested, smiling at the always angry trainer.

He pulled out everything that she asked, not saying anything. He waited a few minutes to see if everything was cleared.

"Here you go Paul. Everything's good to go. Good luck to you. You have plenty of time to train, as it starts on February 28th." The pink, haired nurse informed the Sinnoh trainer.

"Thank you." Paul calmly replied, bowing to her.

Paul then began to look around the Pokemon Center. He felt like someone was watching him and he didn't like that feeling at all. He cautiously walked out of the Pokemon Center to see if anyone was watching him.

Inside the Pokemon Center, there was a blonde haired girl with purple eyes, wearing black jeans, a black tee shirt, and a black leather jacket, which was zipped up all the way. She began following him.

Luckily for her, Paul didn't notice. She began to creep ever so closely behind him.

"_Now is where I make my move." _Domino thought as she was prepared to knock him out.

She struck the back of his neck.

"_What the… hell… is going on?"_ Paul last thought before he completely blacked out and fell onto the ground.

Domino took him and carried him to her vehicle, where she began to drive to her next destination.

XXX

After getting settled into their cabin, Ash decided that he wanted to go out.

"Hey guys, let's go out to lunch." Ash suggested gleefully, eager trying to get out of the cabin.

"That's a great idea sweetie, let's go!" Misty gleefully agreed with her boyfriend.

"As long as you two don't make out in front of everyone, I'll tag along." Brock joked to the now blushing couple.

Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic all got out of their cabin and began to walk towards the exit of the league village. Along the way, they bump into more old friends.

"Hey there guys!" Tracey exclaimed happily.

"Hey Tracey!" Misty replied.

"Well, well Ashy boy. Looks like you made it on time." Gary teased his old rival.

"You know it. And I've got plenty of time to train, so you better watch yourself!" Ash exclaimed towards his old rival now good friend.

"So Gary, how's the you know what with that certain evolution going?" Brock asked carefully, trying not to give out the details to the public.

Gary pondered on what Brock said, then quickly caught on.

"Oh yeah, it's actually bad." He replied sadly.

"Why bad?" Ash questioned.

"Well, we haven't discovered anything new about it. It seems like we're at a dead end, but luckily Professor Rowan's giving me a break so I can compete in this tournament." Gary responded with a smile.

"Hey, why don't you join us for lunch?" Misty offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks. We need to get to our cabin and put everything there." Tracey replied to Misty's offer.

"Maybe we'll join you if we find you." Gary said though.

"Alright, that sounds good to me. See ya guys." Ash said, waving his hand as Tracey and Gary walked towards the league village to find their cabin.

XXX

"They just got finished talking to more twerps and walking right into our trap." A female voice said.

"Perfect." A man's voice said.

XXX

As the gang continued to walk, they suddenly fell through the ground. They all landed on their butts, except for Togetic, who was still flying.

"Oh man, you've got to be kidding me. Why now?" Ash said while rubbing his head, trying to recover.

"I knew they'd eventually show up." Misty angrily spat.

As if on cue, three mysterious figures jumped out, looking down into the hole where they were lying in. They evilly laughed before beginning their infamous motto.

"Prepare for trouble, you seem quite annoyed!" She began.

"Make it double, as we're the ones you can't avoid!" He began.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people's within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" She introduced.

"James!" He introduced.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" Jessie finished.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James finished.

"Meowth, that's right!" The Scratch Cat Pokemon concluded.

"Why are you guys here?!" Ash demanded.

"Well, well, someone's a little angry. Anyway, we've been following you since the beginning of this journey." Jessie answered, with no worry in her voice.

"That's impossible. We haven't seen you at all." Misty replied angrily.

"We've been ordered not to attack. But now, we're not listening to our bosses. We're taking your Pokemon by force, especially Pikachu." James announced, pointing at them.

"Yeah, and here's how we're gonna do it." Meowth said, getting into a mechanical Meowth.

The trio have seen this mechanical Meowth before. It was a giant Meowth, with the real talking Meowth in the head, where the control center was. He walked towards the hole they were still in.

"I choose you Pignite!" Ash exclaimed throwing the Pokeball.

"Go Crobat!" Brock exclaimed.

"I choose you, Yamask!" James exclaimed.

"Go Frillish!" Jessie exclaimed.

As everyone released their Pokemon, Meowth used the mechanical Meowth he was sitting in to control to actually grab Ash and lift him up in the air, causing his friends and their Pokemon to worry.

"Ash!" Misty and Brock screamed in worry.

After being lifted up, Meowth opened up his stomach and put him in the stomach of the robot, and then the see through door closed.

Pignite, Crobat, the two Pikachu, and Togetic were able to defeat Jessie and James's Unova Pokemon, but that's what they planned. Everyone was able to get out of the hole and confront Team Rocket, but they knew they had the upper hand.

"As you can see, we have your boyfriend here you red headed twerp. Now, give us your Pokemon, or he'll be in a world of pain." Jessie demanded angrily.

Misty and Brock were shocked to see Team Rocket like this. They were just so… Ruthless. This wasn't like them at all.

"What happened to you three?" Brock asked, yelling in anger.

"Well, we've decided to step up our game and live up to the Team Rocket name." Jessie began.

"We're sick and tired of losing all the time. Now things will be different." James continued.

"We're not taking any orders from anyone. So what will it be, your Pokemon, or Ash?" Meowth finished, using the speakers in the mechanical head to talk.

Meowth then pressed a button, which was to electrocute Ash in the stomach of the mechanical beast.

"Ash!" Brock and Misty screamed.

"Pikapi!"(Ash!) Both Pikachu exclaimed.

"Togetic!" (Daddy!) The happiness Pokemon screamed.

The shocking concluded with Ash wincing in pain. He looked out at his friends, begging them to attack and save him. Brock and Misty were worried that they were only going to hurt him more.

"Pignite, use brick break!" Ash commanded from the machines stomach.

Pignite was hesitant to attack. Like Brock and Misty, he didn't want to hurt his master. Pignite loved Ash ever since he brought in as abandoned Pokemon, like Charizard and Infernape. He would never do anything to hurt him.

"Come on Pignite! This is the only way to save me!" Ash yelled.

"So, you choose your own Pokemon over your best friend?" Jessie asked.

"Well then, Meowth, shock him again!" James ordered the Pokemon.

"You got it!" Meowth happily obliged.

Electricity flowed through the stomach of the machine and began to injure Ash even more. Pignite couldn't take it anymore, as the Fire Pig Pokemon began to flow tears down his face. Misty couldn't help but feel bad for the Pokemon.

"Oh Pignite." Misty quietly muttered. She then looked up to see what happened. "Oh no Ash!"

"Ash!" Brock yelled, trying to wake him up.

Once the electricity stopped, Ash was barely kneeling up in the machine. He couldn't tell what was happening. Pignite was now both sad and angry as Team Rocket stood their evilly laughing. Pignite couldn't take it anymore.

"PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITEE!" The Fire Pig exclaimed as he began to glow white.

While glowing, he grew taller and bulkier. His arms and legs also increased in length and muscle. Once the glow disappeared, he finished his evolution.

"EMMMMBOOOOAR!" The Mega Fire Pig Pokemon exclaimed.

Team Rocket began to get nervous. Emboar jumped right in front of the machine, used brick break to chop off the head of the machine, then used focus punch to break the glass, and grabbed Ash before the machine exploded.

Meowth snuck out of the head, with the three of them tip toing away from the scene. Unfortunately for them, Brock and Misty saw them.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Brock yelled at them.

"Oh yeah, who says so?" Meowth retorted.

"He does." Misty answered confidently when Emboar angrily stomped his way towards the trio of Rockets.

They slowly and fearfully backed up, not wanting to be attacked by the Mega Fire Pig. Emboar showed them no mercy, as he attacked them with a powerful fire blast attack. The fire Chinese symbol was heading their way and crashed right into them, causing an explosion and the trio to fly up into the sky.

"We never get our way!" Jessie complained.

"Do you think we'll get fired?" James asked.

"That doesn't matter now, because…" Meowth began.

"We're blasting off again!" The three of them screamed, then disappeared into the clear day sky.

"Awesome job Emboar!" Misty gleefully cheered for the Pokemon, hugging it.

"We have no time to cheer. Ash is in critical condition. We need to get him to the hospital!" Brock interrupted.

Emboar picked him up as the gang sprinted as fast as they could to a hospital.

XXX

"Wake up."

Upon hearing that voice, he slowly began to wake up. He also began to get a head ache. He didn't remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was walking out of the Pokemon Center. When he fully awoken, he realized he was handcuffed to a chair in front of a desk. And behind that desk, was a man in an all-black suit.

"Where the hell am I?!" Paul asked angrily, violently shaking his wrists trying to break free.

"Relax, you'll be here a while." The man warned.

Paul stopped, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes again, looking the man directly in his face.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Paul calmly asked.

"I'm Giovanni, head leader of Team Rocket. And I want to recruit _you._" He answered.

"Why me?" Paul asked confused.

"Well, we both want certain things, and I believe we can help each other out." He answered.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I want you to win the league for me. I'll be able to help you out. I have Pokemon beyond your wildest imagination. And once you win, I'll be able to gain access into the Pokemon league." Giovanni explained to the purple haired trainer.

"I don't need your help to win the league. My Pokemon can take you and all of Team Rocket down." Paul angrily replied to Giovanni.

"It's best that you watch your tone with me boy. Like I said earlier, I'll help you if you help me." The Rocket head honcho said.

"Like I said, I don't need your shitty help." Paul said.

"Does the name Ash Ketchum mean anything to you?" Giovanni asked, approaching this with a different tactic.

Paul gasped when he heard that name.

"I know that you two were rivals during your time in Sinnoh. Sure you were able to beat him in free battles, but when the Sinnoh league came around, you lost. How does that loss make you feel?" Giovanni explained to the now stunned trainer.

Whenever he heard that name, he would get angry. He's always wanted revenge for that loss against him; even though it seemed that they ended on good terms. Paul kept training his Pokemon his way, but it got him nowhere, as he challenged Brandon multiple times and lost to him every single time.

"He's gotten stronger Paul. I know for a fact that you can't beat him right now, but if you join me, you'll be able to defeat him with no problem. Come on Paul, I know you want your revenge." Giovanni told the now angry trainer.

After hearing what Giovanni said, he was beyond pissed. So he gave into defeat and decided to join Team Rocket.

"Fine, you win Giovanni. But you better promise me that title." Paul demanded.

Giovanni simply ignored his anger, and was happy that he got Paul on Team Rocket.

"Good. There's someone I need you to meet." Giovanni said, waving his left hand to tell her to come his way. "This is Domino and she'll be your partner."

"Are you the one that knocked me out?" Paul asked angrily.

"I hope we can start over, because you'll need me if you want to win this thing." Domino replied with the same tone.

Domino got the hand cuffs off of him and led him out of the office, leaving Giovanni all by himself.

He took a sip of rum and looked out his window.

"Excellent, within the next three months, I'll be able to take over the League. And then the entire world!" Giovanni evilly exclaimed and then laughed.

XXX

Meanwhile, Brock and Misty, along with the Pokemon, were waiting nervously to see what had happened with Ash. They all wondered, especially Misty. But she believed in him, just like everyone else did.

"_Come on Ash, you can get through this. You've been through tougher situations than this." _Misty thought to herself, hopefully sending a message towards Ash.

Disturbed by their own thoughts was the doctor who treated Ash. Everyone slowly walked towards him, waiting to hear his answer.

"I have great news, he'll be just fine." The doctor began.

He was interrupted by everyone cheering in sheer happiness.

"But he needs to stay here for a few days. He needs to rest before he can train for the Pokemon League. He'll definitely be able to compete if he listens to me. He's awake now if you wanna see him." He concluded.

Misty was slowly crying in happiness. She ran towards the tall doctor giving him a big hug.

"Thank you so much doctor!" She mumbled into his doctor's coat.

"You don't need to. I'm just doing my job." He happily replied.

They all ran past him and went into his hospital room.

Ash was awake lying in the uncomfortable bed the hospital provided. To him, the ground was more comfortable to him than this bed. His huge, cheeky smile appeared when he saw everyone.

"Hey there everyone." Ash barely spoke.

"Ash!" Misty cheered, running up next to him and lightly hugging him, not wanting to hurt him.

"Pikapi!" (Ash!) The yellow mouse exclaimed jumping onto his bed and rubbed his cheek onto his.

"Hey there buddy. Hey sweetie; thanks for saving me." Ash spoke softly.

"Don't thank us. You should be thanking him." Misty replied and stepped out of the way so that Ash could see the real savior.

"Is that, Pignite?" Ash asked confused.

"Nope, it's your Emboar who saved you. He was so mad at Team Rocket that he evolved just to save you." Brock answered for him.

"Really? Thank you so much Emboar." Ash praised the Mega Fire Pig.

Emboar then walked up beside his master and hugged him. It was a very sweet moment for everyone in the room. Ash knew his Pokemon cared for him, but he never thought that they would save his life like Emboar did.

This is one of the reasons why Misty loves Ash so much. He has a very strong bond with every Pokemon he has and runs into. He would do anything for them and his friends and in return, they would do anything for him.

"So, what did the doctor say?" Ash asked out loud.

"He says you need to stay here for a couple days, and then you can go back out and train with everyone." Brock answered.

"Aw man, I was hoping to train now!" Ash yelled disappointed, and a little angered.

"Ash, just listen to the doctor, and then you'll be outta here before you know it." Misty comforted him, then proceeded to lightly kiss him on his cheek.

"I guess it won't be that bad." Ash replied.

XXX

There's chapter 29! I'm sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been so busy over this last week. I'm getting more hours at my new job, and college is getting in my way. I was also very busy this past weekend. Speaking of college, I'll be dropping out and going to a tech school. I don't know what that means for my availability to provide you with more chapters, but don't expect anything too soon. I'll be even more busy over this month. But I promise you I'll get them out asap. Also, I recommend you guys read Becoming Human by xblueflowerx, Swim Good by pokesimmo, and Indigo All Over Again by Reignstein. I also recommend that you read The Master's Journey by Mr. M Mars, since he's been updating it a lot recently. They're all really good stories in their own ways and I enjoy them. Another also, I feel like this is my best chapter yet and hopefully the next will be as good as this one. So until next time, see ya!


	31. Chapter 30- The Preliminaries!

I know I said that don't expect anything soon, but I'll see if I can get a head start on this chapter. I just want you all to know, that this is the start of the tournament. I'm going to try to include all of their Pokemon, especially Ash's. So without further ado, here's chapter 30!

Chapter 30- The Preliminaries!

After a couple of days in the hospital, thanks to Team Rocket, Ash finally got out and is back to his normal self.

"Alright, let's start training!" Ash exclaimed happily.

"Wow Ash, you, actually train? That's a surprise." Misty teased her black haired boyfriend.

"Haha, you're so funny." Ash replied sarcastically, sticking his tongue out at her.

"We got a month to train, so let's get started." Brock interrupted the couple.

_One month later…_

Ash, Misty, and Brock, along with their friends, trained every day for that entire month and each felt like they've gotten stronger. With the exception of Gabite, Ash's Pokemon who weren't fully evolved before were now in their final stage because of their training. They all worked so hard for this. And now, it was time for the tournament they started. They'll find out that they're more people here than just them.

"Yeah! Finally it's here!" Ash happily exclaimed.

Misty looked at him and couldn't help but smile at him. It was a nostalgic feeling for her because she's seen this before. She remembered seeing him all excited for his first time at the Indigo Plateau and the Silver Conference in Johto.

"Hello, earth to Misty?!" May interrupted her train of thought.

"Oh sorry May, what did you say?" Misty asked, feeling bad for not listening.

"Misty asked you if you were excited for the tournament." Dawn joined the girls.

"Yeah, I'm really excited." Misty responded more enthused.

"What happened earlier?" May asked curiously.

"I was just stuck in a flashback about Ash." Misty answered.

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"Well, I traveled with him on his first journey through Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto." Misty began. "I just remembered him being so excited for a tournament."

"That definitely sounds like Ash. He was excited for the Hoenn league when we first went there." May remembered.

"And he acted the same way in Sinnoh." Dawn added.

"That's one of the many reasons I love him though. He's grown up a lot in many areas, but at the same time, he's the same 10 year old kid I fished out who wants to be a Pokemon master and cares for Pokemon." Misty explained to Ash's former female traveling companions.

"I can see that." May reasoned, shrugging her shoulders.

"Guys, we're here." Dawn pointed out.

The night before, each trainer participating had received a letter to meet in the main stadium. It briefly explained that Mr. Goodshow would explain the rules of the tournament and how the battles would go. Each trainer also received an app on their Poke gears that would alert them when and where their battle would be.

The stadium was covered with folding chairs, for each the participating trainers were to sit down on. Along with Ash and the gang, trainers gathered around and each took a seat. Ash and everyone else looked around to see if they saw anyone familiar.

And for Ash, he seemed to know everyone there. He saw everyone from AJ, who he first met at the beginning of his journey, Harrison, who he battled and lost to in the Johto Silver Conference, Tyson with his Meowth in boots, Nando, who he battled in the Sinnoh League's Lily of the Valley Conference, Ritchie, his first friendly rivalry, Cameron, who he recently saw in Unova, and many other trainers he's either battled or met. He saw and expected Paul to be there, but what surprised him was who he was sitting next to.

"_I wonder if he changed his ways, or if he's the same jerk. And who's that girl next to him?" _Ash pondered as the opening ceremonies began.

People began to cheer as Mr. Goodshow came out onto the stage.

"Ladies, Gentleman, and trainers, welcome to this year's grand Pokemon tournament!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed from the stage, welcoming everyone.

Everyone applaud and cheered for the recognition he gave them.

"Now before we get started today, I'd also like to welcome all of the gym leaders, the elite four members from each of the participating regions, and each regions champion!" The short, old man exclaimed.

Everyone in the stadium looked towards the tunnel at the upper right corner, and each of the gym leaders walked out in a line. They all walked out in lines of four, representing each gym leader in each region. Next, the members of the elite four walked out. Finally, the three champions from each region came out. They all walked onto the stage and sat in the chairs that were provided for them.

"Now for the rules: you have to win one battle in each of the four stadiums of ice, grass, rock, and water. Those matches will be three on three. I will explain the rest of the rules when we reach the sweet sixteen. Now, let's see the matches!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed as he pointed towards the big screen in the stadium.

**Ash's POV**

As the pictures on the board began to move, I began to get nervous on whom I was going to face.

"_Who am I going to face?"_ I thought.

The pictures finally stopped and revealed themselves, so I scanned to find my face and I find it next to Drew's on the rock field. I quickly searched for him in the crowd of trainers, but could not find him.

"Now, good luck to all of the trainers! Now, ladies and gentleman let the tournament begin!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed happily.

I looked at my Poke tech and it said that I was the first battle on the rock field. I informed my friends who were around me about my battle, but only some of them could watch. Misty had her battle on the ice field at the same time as me. Brock was on the water field and Gary was on the grass field at the same time as me too.

"Aw man that stinks." I said sadly, looking at the screen to see who else was facing who.

"Don't worry Ash; I guess that means that we'll see each other at the sweet sixteen." Brock said positively, looking at me.

"Yeah Ash; you better not lose. You worked too hard to lose now." My red headed girlfriend teased, sticking her tongue out at me. I stuck mine back out at her.

"Let's do it then!" I exclaimed, looking back at my friends.

_Thirty minutes later…_

Even though Brock and Misty weren't there, I knew I could win. I had May, Dawn, Ritchie, Tracey, and my other friends there to cheer me on. I showed up at the rock battlefield, excited to get my first battle underway.

It was an intense first battle for the both of us. I used my newly evolved Gigalith against his Flygon for the first part of the battle. Unfortunately for me, Gigalith didn't win the first battle. It was okay because he did a good job. I then used Noctowl and won handily against the injured Flygon. Then he sent out his Roserade, which I thought was strange because I had the type advantage. But Drew had a strategy and that was to poison not only my Noctowl, but the rest of my team. Luckily for me, Noctowl was able to tough it out and beat Roserade. After his victory, I forfeited him. So the final battle was his Absol versus to everyone's surprise, Muk. Drew tried to end the battle right away with a giga impact, but I had a strategy for Muk. He made him used acid armor to protect himself and it worked to perfection. Absol was injured and I was free to attack. So I had Muk use sludge bomb on Absol, and again to my luck, got poisoned. Drew wanted to win, but he didn't want his Pokemon to get hurt, so he forfeited the match. He congratulated me and ordered me to win the entire thing, which made me chuckle. I told him I will.

After that, I went over to the ice stadium to see if Misty was battling. I just missed her first match, which kinda made me upset. So I called her to see where she was and said she was at the cabin. I made it to the cabin sometime later and there she was. We informed each other that we both won our first match. She also told me that she battled a girl named Bianca and that she was from Unova. I informed her that I knew who she was. I think Misty got a little mad.

Later that evening, Brock came back to inform us that he won as well. We all won our first matches, but we still had a long way to go.

The next day, I was battling again. This time it was on the water field. I couldn't believe who I was battling. It was the first person I ever faced in any league, Mandy.

"Mandy?!" I exclaimed as I was in complete surprise.

"Yes, the one and only." He calmly replied. "You won't win so easily like you did the first time."

"You still have a grudge against me for that win?" I questioned. "That was nine years ago. You gotta let that go."

Brock and Misty were able to watch this battle. He started with Exeggutor, just like he did the first time. I started with Seismitoad, which a lot of people questioned, but I had a strategy planned. I had Seismitoad use sludge wave, which caused it a lot of damage. He was trying to charge up for a solarbeam, but with another sludge wave, it beat his Exeggutor. He sent out his Kingdra, which must have evolved a while ago, and he beat Seismitoad. Then I used Leavanny, which had a really hard time taking out Kingdra, but he got it done. He had Crobat as his last Pokemon and took out Leavanny easily. I finally got to use my newly evolved Feraligatr. He took out Crobat after a hydro pump and an ice punch.

I got to watch Misty and Brock's matches that day, which they both won. Misty faced Katie, who I battled in the Hoenn league. It was a very good match, but Misty was able to pull it off. Brock faced another tough trainer, who apparently was from Pewter City as well. Just like Misty, Brock barely won.

The next day, I faced Tyson on the ice field. I lost to him at the Hoenn Conference in the elite eight. He started with his Sceptile and I started with my good friend Lapras. It was a tough battle, but Lapras was able to finish him with an ice beam. He used his Donphan and ordered it to use stone edge to take out Lapras. The next Pokemon I used was my recently, fully evolved Meganium. Tyson ordered Donphan to use rollout right at Meganium, so I ordered Meganium to use vine whip to dodge, and counter with razor leaf, which missed because Donphan kept using rollout. So I made Meganium do the same thing, but this time use body slam right onto it and it worked, causing Donphan to faint. He used his most powerful Pokemon, Metagross. He took out Meganium, which seemed like no problem. I was a little intimidated, but I had faith in my newly evolved Typhlosion. I made Typhlosion use flamethrower, which hit Metagross. But he had more fight in him. Metagross used body slam, which really hurt Typhlosion, but I had the perfect move to counter: eruption. It caused Metagross to faint and gave me the victory.

Before my match, I got to see Misty and Brock's final matches. Brock won his match pretty easily. Misty on the other hand, had another tough battle as she faced Nando, who I faced in the Sinnoh league. It was back and forth, but the last match was when things got interesting. Nando sent out his Kricketune, a bug type Pokemon, which meant Misty, cringed in fear. As Misty was about to call out a Pokemon, Psyduck popped out onto the field to Misty's displeasure. She tried to call him back, but the ref informed him that she had to battle with Psyduck, otherwise she would forfeit. Nando had the advantage, attacking the poor, dense yellow duck left and right. Misty tried to command Psyduck, but he wouldn't listen. It was surely the end of the road for Misty, until something strange happened…

"Kricketune, use solar beam!" Nando exclaimed.

Kricketune charged up and attacked the duck.

"No, Psyduck!" Misty exclaimed in worry for her Pokemon.

"PSSSSSYYYYYYYYYY!"

As the yellow duck was consumed by the solarbeam, it had seemed the battle was over. But once everyone could see again, everyone gasped in surprise.

"Oh my! It seemed that Psyduck evolved into Golduck in the heat of the moment and used protect just in time!" Rich announced.

"Use hydro pump!" Misty ordered to her newly evolved Duck Pokemon.

Golduck actually listened and attacked the bug type and knocked it out with one hit.

"Kricketune is unable to battle, Golduck wins, which means Misty is the winner and will be moving on to the sweet sixteen!" The referee announced.

"Yes! I knew you could do it!" Misty cheered as she ran up to Golduck and hug the blue duck.

"Wow, it finally evolved." I said in complete awe.

"Who would have thought Psyduck would ever evolve." Brock replied in the same tone.

Later on that day, it was my match. I didn't know who I was facing until I made it to the grass field. As I walked onto the field and I looked across from me, it was no other than Tobias. I knew I was going to run into him eventually, but not this early. I had a plan for him though.

"Well, well if it isn't Ash Ketchum. Let's see if you can get past me this time." My opponent greeted the young trainer.

"I can and I will." I replied confidently.

He started off with his go to Pokemon Darkrai. I decided to start off with the same Pokemon I started against him the last time I faced him.

"You think your Heracross can beat me?" He insulted.

"Just you wait and see." I replied.

That first battle was a long and difficult battle for the both of us. Heracross was hitting all of his moves. Megahorn and focus punch were doing great amounts of damage to the legendary dark type Pokemon. But Tobias was able to knock him out after his dark pulse outlasted Heracross's hyper beam. I sent out Gabite, having planned the perfect strategy.

"You know what to do." I said to my Pokemon.

He simply nodded and began to charge up his draco meteor. Tobias recognized it right away, which I wanted.

"That strategy won't work Ash. Dodge Darkrai!" Tobias commanded.

Although tired, the legendary dark type was beginning to dodge. Now was when I defeated him.

"Now keep using dragon pulse until you hit him." I ordered.

Gabite charged up and kept launching dragon pulses. Darkrai dodged some of them, but then eventually got too tired as it was hit with both a meteor and a dragon pulse attack at the same time. After the smoke cleared, Darkrai was fainted.

"Darkrai is unable to battle, Gabite wins." The referee announced.

I grinned, knowing that strategy would work.

Tobias seemed to get stressed. He never lost his Darkrai that fast in a battle ever. He threw his next Pokeball and what came out was Latios, the Dragon-Psychic legendary of Hoenn.

That battle was also intense, as both my Gabite and his Latios went back and forth with attacks. At the end, his Latios was standing.

As I returned my Pokemon and praised it for his work, I remained calm and believed in my last Pokemon.

"I choose you, Sceptile!" I exclaimed.

Sceptile came out all cool and calm, as he always did. Tobias wanted to end it fast.

"Use fire blast!" He commanded.

"Dodge and use night slash!" I ordered.

Sceptile's speed was too great for the tired out Latios, as he dodged the attack and hit the legendary Pokemon with his night slash, knocking him out of the battle.

"Latios is unable to battle, Sceptile wins."

Tobias was angry at this point. He was going to his third and final Pokemon. The same Ash Ketchum he was facing pushed him to beat his two Pokemon, but not without taking out his whole team. Tobias was definitely concerned now as he threw out his last pokeball, and it was Latios's counterpart, Latias.

It was a long and difficult battle, and it came down to this last move.

"Use giga impact!"

"Use night slash!"

Both Latias and Sceptile met in the center, causing an explosion in the middle of the field. Once the dust cleared, both Pokemon were both still standing somehow, but on the verge of dropping. After another minute, Latias dropped and fainted.

"Latias is unable to battle, Sceptile wins, which means that Ash Ketchum is the winner and will be moving onto the sweet sixteen!"

"I can't believe it… I beat Tobias…" I said to myself as the stadium erupted into cheers and applause.

Tobias returned his Pokemon as I ran up to Sceptile to help him up and congratulate him on an awesome victory.

"That was an excellent battle. I knew you were going to be trouble for me in this tournament. Now I know you can win the entire thing. There's not one trainer here who can beat you." Tobias complimented, as we shook hands.

"Thank you Tobias. It means coming a lot from you." I replied happily.

Misty and Brock ran up next to me to congratulate me as well.

"Well there you have it, we have our sixteen trainers! Meet at the main stadium tomorrow for the matches!" Rich announced.

After a long day, we went back to the cabin and I went to bed early, thinking about who I might face in the sweet sixteen.

XXX

There's chapter 30! I'm sorry about this chapter. There wasn't much action in it until the end. But this chapter had to be done. From here on, it will be better. Like I said in the beginning, it was only a summary of the preliminaries. So next time will begin the battles for the sweet sixteen. Until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	32. Chapter 31- Sweet Sixteen Part 1

I'm splitting the sweet sixteen into two parts, just to let you loyal readers know. I'd like to thank you for your support, input, and advice. Anyway, here's chapter 31!

Chapter 31- Sweet Sixteen-Part 1

As the morning sun began to rise over the league village, Misty and Brock, along with Elektra and Togetic, were up and about. After getting washed and dressed, they now had the near impossible task of trying to wake up Ash and Pikachu, but mostly Ash.

"Come on Ash, we need to get going!" Misty said shaking him, trying to wake the Pallet Town trainer up.

"If you don't get up, we'll miss breakfast and more importantly, the matches for today." Brock followed up, trying to get him up as well.

"Just five more minutes." The tired trainer mumbled in his sleep.

Pikachu was able to wake up after hearing them talk and hopped onto Misty's free shoulder. Misty then came up with an idea on how to wake up the tired trainer.

"Pikachu, you have the honor of waking him up." Misty happily said, pointing at the sleeping trainer.

The electric mouse hopped off of her shoulder and onto the foot of the bed where he was sleeping on. He charged up and unleashed a short burst of electricity onto the sleeping Pallet Town trainer. After feeling the effects of the thundershock, he woke up and was energized.

"Ahhh!" He screamed in pain. "What was that for Pikachu?"

"That's what you get for not waking up when we tell you too." Misty replied in a 'as a matter of fact' tone.

"Alright fair enough." Ash replied to the red head, feeling defeated. "Now I need to take a shower, thanks to you." He said, winking at her.

"Fine, just hurry up." She replied.

After quickly taking a shower and getting ready, Ash was ready to head to the Pokemon center. They all arrived at the Pokemon center cafeteria, seeing May, Dawn, Ritchie, Barry, Tracey and Gary and decided to join them for breakfast.

"Hey guys!" Ash, Misty, and Brock exclaimed as they ran towards the group. After making it to their table, they took a seat.

"Hey Guys!" Everyone exclaimed with the same enthusiasm.

"So did you guys win your matches?" Ash asked, hoping that they did.

"You know I did Ashy boy. I wanna rematch with you." Gary teased the trainer.

"You should know that I did. I'm gonna have to fine you for not knowing Ash!" Barry exclaimed somewhat angrily at him.

"Sure, whatever you say Barry." Misty replied sweat dropping, along with everyone else.

"You know I did Ash." Ritchie answered, determined. "I wanna see how strong you've gotten."

"I wanna see how strong you've gotten too. I can't wait to see you battle!" Ash happily exclaimed.

"How about you girls?" Misty asked, wondering if they made it in as well.

"Yup!" Dawn and May both exclaimed.

"And you Tracey?" Brock asked.

"Barely; I'm telling you, the competition is tough!" Tracey answered.

"Awesome, it looks like we're all in the sweet sixteen." Brock stated the obvious.

"Now let's finish up breakfast and get there! It's almost that time!" Barry exclaimed impatiently.

After they all got and finished their breakfast, they walked out of the Pokemon Center and began their short walk towards the main stadium. Once making to the stadium, they were all met by a body guard.

"If you're all trainers I need to see your id's." He demanded.

Each trainer pulled out their Pokedex and showed him that they were all competing in the tournament, with the exception of Brock and Misty, who showed an id card indicating that they were in the tournament.

"Alright, you're allowed through." He said, handing back each of their Pokedex.

Each of them thanked the guard and walked through the mini tunnel and made it to the main stadium. The crowd cheered to see the eight trainers walk through. The main stadium is where they met the other trainers who would also be in the sweet sixteen. Ash, Misty, and Brock recognized most of them right away.

The two people they recognized were Macy, who they met with recently in Mahogany Town and the Lake of Rage. Misty wasn't really thrilled to see her. And the other was Casey, who they didn't recognize right away because of how tall she gotten.

"Hey Macy, hey Casey!" Ash shouted to get their attention.

The two now grown up girls looked back to see who was calling them and both had a smile on their faces.

"Hey Ash; it's been a long time!" Casey yelled as she and Macy ran towards Ash and the gang.

Casey, like Macy, didn't really change that much, except that the fact that she got taller. She was wearing a white tee shirt with a black and yellow Electabuzz jersey on top with black shorts. Her purple hair flow smoothly down her back. She was also wearing a white Electabuzz hat with the team logo in the center and black stripes running down the hat.

They met in the middle and began to converse.

"I know; how've you been?" Ash asked the sixteen year old girl.

"I've been great! It's even better to see you here!" Casey answered gleefully.

Although Macy was there, she didn't say anything. She was too busy staring down Misty, who was staring angrily back at her.

"Uh Ash, what's Macy's problem with Misty?" Casey asked as she watched the two girls stare each other down.

"Well…" Ash began hesitantly. "Misty and I have been dating for almost a year now and we ran into Macy and she tried to steal me away from her."

"Aw Ash that's so sweet! I never knew you could be romantic!" Casey cooed.

"Yep, he's definitely grown up a lot." Brock chimed into the conversation.

They checked back to see how the girls were doing, and they were still staring angrily at each other.

"How about we get outta here. Let's go Mist." Ash said somewhat intimidated because he didn't want to see Misty blow up.

"Good idea; we'll get going too." Casey said while sweat dropping. "Let's get going Macy."

Ash, Misty, and Brock walked away from the two teenage girls to see who else was there. They saw a couple trainers conversing and Ash recognized them as well.

"Hey guys look, it's Harrison!" Brock happily said as this caught the Hoenn trainer's attention.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Harrison asked the group of trainers.

"It's going great. And who's this you're talking too?" Misty asked.

"This is Cameron, he's from Unova." The Hoenn trainer answered.

Cameron was the same height as Ash, but he was a year younger than him. He still wore a head band that he wore when he met Ash. He wore an orange tee shirt and black jeans with boots on, so his look was a little different.

"Hey guys… Ash!" Cameron shouted in excitement, surprising everyone.

"Hey there Cameron!" Ash exclaimed at the same time.

"How do you know him Ash?" Misty asked curiously.

"I met him during my journey in Unova and then we faced each other in the Unova league." Ash answered happily to the red headed girlfriend.

"Yes we did. It was a close match, but I won barely." Cameron replied to Ash's comment. "Who are these guys?"

"These are two of my best friends: Brock and Misty!" Ash introduced to Cameron.

"Hey there guys. Wait a second… why are you and Misty holding hands?" Cameron asked with a confused look on his face.

"Wow Ash, I never thought I would meet someone who was denser than you." Misty joked at the Unova trainer.

Cameron was still confused by what she said.

XXX

"You three idiots are fired!" Giovanni yelled at Jessie, James, and Meowth. "Do you know what you've done?! You've exposed us to Ketchum! I gave you three a simple task even a Mankey could follow! You better get out of my face now!"

"O-Okay!" They all screamed fearfully and then sprinted out of the office and then eventually away from the Rocket hideout.

"Giovanni sir, this is Domino. I've spotted our target." The Rocket agent informed the boss.

"Good; you know what to do." He simply said, trying to control his anger.

After hearing the information, he took a deep breath and a drink of his liquor, trying to calm himself down.

"Good, everything's slowly, but surely coming to fruition." He said to himself, turning on his television to watch coverage of the tournament.

XXX

"Hey, are you Ash?!" A girl screamed.

Ash, Misty, and Brock turned around to see who that voice belonged to. It was a blonde woman they've never seen before, but they didn't wanna be rude and ignore her.

"Uh, yeah; I'm sorry, but who are you?" Ash asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Dominique and I am a huge fan of yours." The undercover Rocket agent answered.

"Oh thank you. It means a lot. Oh, you were next to Paul at the opening ceremonies. How do you know him?" Ash asked curiously, wanting to know the answer.

"Well uhh, he's my boyfriend." She genuinely lied through her teeth.

"Wow, that's interesting." Brock chimed in.

"Why's that?" Dominique asked.

"He was a jerk all through my travels through Sinnoh. I guess he's changed." He answered the girl.

"Guys, Mr. Goodshow is about to announce the battles." Misty interrupted everyone who was conversing.

"Well, it was nice meeting you guys. I need to get back to Paul." Dominique kindly said, waving towards the group and walking away.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Sweet Sixteen!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed.

The crowd erupted at the announcement. The stadium looked different. There was only the mini stage from the opening ceremonies that Mr. Goodshow and the champions were on. The trainers had to stand for the announcement.

"Here are the rules for the Sweet Sixteen and the rest of the tournament: This round will be three on three matches. Obviously the first trainer to lose all their Pokemon is eliminated. The trainers may only substitute after one of the Pokemon go down. For the rest of the tournament, it will be six on six battles. And the same rules apply." The short, old man explained. "Now, you've all had enough of my talking; let's see what the matches are!"

Everyone's faces appeared on the giant screen. Ash knew most of the people who were already on the screen, but he was surprised to see Trip's face. He hadn't physically seen him. The faces now began to shuffle around on the screen. After about 30 seconds, the matches appeared as in order: Paul vs. Tracey, Gary vs. Barry, Macy vs. Casey, Misty vs. Cameron, Brock vs. Harrison, Ash vs. Trip, Dominique vs. Ritchie, and May vs. Dawn.

"Are you ready to lose Ash?" Trip arrogantly said out of nowhere right behind the Pallet Town trainer.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I've gotten stronger." Ash shot back at the Unova native.

"The first four battles will be today. Paul, Tracey, and the rest of the competitors have one hour to make preparations." Mr. Goodshow announced.

Ash, Misty, Brock, May, Ritchie, Gary, Barry, and Dawn all approached Tracey and wished him luck for his match. Meanwhile, Domino and Paul were conversing away from the other trainers.

"You better give the Pokemon that Giovanni promised." Paul angrily demanded from his partner.

"No; prove to me that you can defeat this Tracey guy and then you'll get our help." Domino replied just as angrily, matching his tone.

After everyone left for the stadium, both Paul and Tracey took their sides on the main battle field. In the crowd in the first row were the competitors. Domino was sitting near the group and they all kept buying into the incognito. Before the match, Ash warned Tracey on how good Paul was.

"Let the battle begin!" The referee announced.

"Go Paul!" Dominique cheered from the stands loud enough for him to hear.

Paul simply ignored her and wanted get the match over with. He tossed his Pokeball and his Magmortar came out.

Tracey sent out Azumarill, hoping that the type advantage would be enough to help him win.

"And the first battle will be Magmortar vs. Azumarill! Will Azumarill come out on top or will Magmortar?" Rich commentated on the battle.

"Azumarill, start this battle off with a hydro pump!" Tracey ordered.

The Aqua Rabbit opened its mouth and unleashed a barrage of powerful water at the Blast Pokemon. Paul didn't order it to dodge and took the hit dead on, but it seemed to have taken no damage at all.

"Wow, Magmortar's stronger than I remembered." Brock observed, watching the battle.

"Magmortar, use thunderbolt!" Paul ordered.

Magmortar pointed his cannon like arms right at Azumarill and unleashed the powerful electric attack at it. The Aqua Rabbit was in intense pain and after the attack was finished, Azumarill fainted.

"Azumarill is unable to battle, Magmortar wins!" The referee announced pointing the green flag at the Veilstone City trainer now Team Rocket agent.

"And Azumarill goes down with one strike! What a powerful attack! Who will be Tracey's next Pokemon?!" Rich commentated on the microphone.

"Wow, Magmortar won with just one attack?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise, sitting in his seat.

"Although he had the type disadvantage, he used an attack that was super effective against Azumarill." Misty reminded her boyfriend.

"But still, it's very powerful." Harrison added his opinion.

Tracey was shocked that the fact he lost that quickly. He returned the fainted Pokemon into the spherical home. He pulled out his next Pokeball and sent out Fearow.

"Use aerial ace!" Tracey commanded the flying type.

"Stop it with rock slide!" Paul countered.

Magmortar shot a bunch of rocks at Fearow, who took the attack head on at point blank range. After taking the attack, Fearow fell to the ground and fainted.

"Fearow is unable to battle, Magmortar wins!"

"Oh and Magmortar pulled off another one hit knock out! Does Tracey have a Pokemon to defeat Paul's powerful Magmortar?!"

Tracey once again returned another fainted Pokemon; feeling frustrated about losing another match and is on his last Pokemon. He was starting to doubt himself.

"_I've got no other choice but to put him out." _He thought as he reached for his pokeball.

Tracey didn't say anything as he just tossed the pokeball and what came out was a Scolipede. This surprised everyone and grossed the girls out.

"When did Tracey go to Unova?" Ash asked out loud.

"Ewww, that thing is disgusting!" Misty screamed in fear, clutching onto Ash's arm tightly as Dominique, Harrison, Ritchie, and Cameron looked at her confused.

"She has a bug phobia." Brock simply explained to everyone who was looking.

"Ewww!" May and Dawn screamed the same way as Misty did.

"This looks like a desperation move for Tracey, unless he has a strategy to win."

"Use toxic!" Tracey commanded.

The Megapede Pokemon spat a thick, purple liquid from its mouth right at the Blast Pokemon. Paul didn't order it to do anything, so the result was that Magmortar was badly poisoned. After being hit, Magmortar's face indicated that it was in great pain as he was now standing on one knee.

"Magmortar, you better get up and roast that bug!" Paul angrily shouted at his Pokemon.

"Dodge the attacks!" Tracey ordered, concerned for his Pokemon.

The Blast Pokemon kept firing out flamethrowers, each starting to get weaker than the previous, causing the Megapede Pokemon to successfully dodge each stream of fire. Paul knew that his Pokemon was getting weaker after each attack, but he didn't care.

"Now use dig!" Tracey shouted.

The big purple bug dug into the ground, dodging another weak flamethrower. Meanwhile, the Blast Pokemon was on both of his knees, becoming very weak from the effects of toxic. The giant bug came out and hit Magmortar with the very powerful ground attack, causing the red and yellow Blast Pokemon to fall onto his back.

"You better get up right now!" Paul angrily demanded from his Pokemon.

Magmortar struggled to pick himself up because of the poisoning. But somehow he was still able to stand.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing! Even badly poisoned, Magmortar was able to pick himself up!" Rich commentated, which seems too soon because he collapsed onto the ground, fainting in the process.

"Magmortar is unable to battle, Scolipede-" the referee began, but was interrupted by the burning of Scolipede as it was engulfed by flames.

"Scolipede's feeling the effects of flame body! Will it be able to survive?"

As soon as the flame cleared, Scolipede collapsed onto the ground, fainting as well.

"Scolipede is unable to battle as well," The referee began, pointing his flags at the middle. "But since Tracey has no more Pokemon, Paul is the winner of this battle and will advance." He finished explaining, raising the flag towards Paul's direction.

Paul simply returned his Pokemon back into his Pokeball and stared at it angrily.

"I'll deal with you later." He told it angrily, then walked off the battlefield without receiving a 'congrats' from Tracey, even though he didn't deserve it.

From the sidelines, Ash just glared at Paul. He was full of anger from seeing him the way he treated Magmortar. He thought that he truly changed after their battle in Sinnoh, but he was wrong. Tracey let Ash and everyone that he was going to the Pokemon Center to get his Pokemon healed.

"Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked, shrugging his shoulder trying to get his attention.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine." Ash lied unconvincingly, as he turned to face her.

Misty knew he was lying to her, but didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Meanwhile, the next match was about to begin: Gary vs. Barry as they both got out of their seats and faced each other on the battlefield. They first met in the middle of the battlefield to shake hands and wish each other good luck.

"Let the next match begin!"

"Go Heracross!" The Twinleaf Town native exclaimed as his Pokemon came out.

Gary simply grinned and grabbed his pokeball. "I choose you, Arcanine!"

The Legendary Pokemon came out and was ready for battle as was the Single Horn Pokemon.

"Barry starts with the type disadvantage as he chooses Heracross and Pokemon Professor Gary Oak chooses an Arcanine." Rich commentated, pointing out the obvious.

"Use extreme speed!" Gary ordered.

Arcanine then seemed too disappeared from his previous spot and charged right at the blue beetle. Realizing that Barry was too late to make a command, Heracross just automatically defended itself from the attack by crossing his arms in front of him.

Barry grinned thinking that his strategy would work. "Use stone edge and hit it now!" He exclaimed very loudly.

"Use agility!" Gary began his counter. Stones formed around the blue beetle and he threw them at Arcanine. Unfortunately for Barry, Arcanine's speed was too great and dodged with ease.

"How did Arcanine dodge that?!" He exclaimed angrily. "I'm going to have to fine you for that!"

"Now get up close and use fire fang!" As soon as Gary gave the command, the Legendary Pokemon sprinted towards Barry's Heracross and bit the blue beetle with his fangs which were covered in fire, which caused flames to engulf the Single Horn Pokemon.

"Finish it off with a flamethrower."

After the effects of fire fang wore off, The Lion-Dog like Pokemon shot a flamethrower at point blank range. Once the flames wore off, Heracross lied on the ground, fainted and having burn marks on its blue exoskeleton.

"Heracross is unable to battle, Arcanine wins!" The referee announced, waving the green flag in Gary's direction.

Barry returned his Pokemon and praised it for his efforts. He then pulled out his next pokeball and began to study it.

"_I wanted to save you for the last battle, but it looks like I've got no choice." _Barry thought as he looked up at his opponent from across the battlefield and his Arcanine.

"Let's go Empoleon!" He exclaimed throwing the Pokeball, revealing his first Pokemon from the Sinnoh region.

The bulky, steel covered penguin took his stance, staring at the Lion-Dog like Pokemon.

"Let's end this off with a hydro cannon!"

Empoleon stood tall, forming a ball of water in his beak, and fired it at its target. The blue ball crushed rocks that were standing in its way until it finally hit Arcanine, knocking it out in one shot.

"Arcanine is unable to battle, Empoleon wins!" The referee announced.

"That was an impressive comeback by Barry and his Empoleon, knocking out Arcanine with one hydro cannon."

Gary observed Barry and his Empoleon for about a minute. He then grabbed the pokeball with the perfect Pokemon for the situation.

"Go Electivire!" The professor exclaimed chucking the pokeball and watching the Thunderbolt Pokemon come out.

"Return Empoleon." Barry calmly said returning the giant penguin Pokemon.

"That was a smart move by Barry." Brock began complimenting, observing the battle from his seat. "Because Gary had the type advantage and because Empoleon wouldn't be able to move right away because of the side effects of hydro cannon."

"Come on out Roserade!" The blonde shouted throwing the pokeball and watching the Bouquet Pokemon elegantly dance out.

"And what an entrance Barry's Roserade made with that little dance." Rich commentated, impressed with the grass/poison type.

"Let's start this off with grass knot!" Barry commanded.

Roserade made a knot made up of grass, and then threw it at Electivire. The green knot wrapped around his legs and was incapable of walking, which caused it to fall down on his face, which surprisingly caused a lot of damage.

"Then use sludge bomb!"

"Come on Electivire, dodge it!" The now nervous Gary desperately shouted.

The Bouquet Pokemon pointed his bouquet hands towards the yellow, Thunderbolt Pokemon and began to shoot out bombs of purple, liquid ooze. After being hit by the first one, Electivire dodged the rest of them by rolling quickly. Luckily for Gary, the rough ground was able to break the grass knot around his Pokemon's legs and was able to get up very easily.

"Use electro ball!"

"Counter with energy ball!"

Electivire was charging a large ball of electricity while Roserade was charging a ball full of green energy. Once both Pokemon were both finished charging, they unleashed at the same time and they collided in the middle, causing an explosion in the middle of the field.

"Use poison jab!"

"Use fire punch!"

Both trainers had the same thought as they tried to attack each other while the smoke was up. Roserade's left arm was cocked back and her bouquet hand turned purple as it jumped towards Electivire, who's right arm was cocked back with his hand engulfed in fire and getting ready to unleash the fire type attack. The two Pokemon both hit each other and to no one's surprise, Electivire won that stand off because of pure strength. Roserade flew back and ended up on its back and Electivire was standing tall, until the Thunderbolt Pokemon fell down on one knee. His face had a purple line across his face, indicating that he was poisoned.

"It looks like Electivire won that standoff, it has seemed that he suffered by getting poisoned." Rich commentated on the battle.

"Come on Roserade, get up and use solarbeam, and fast!" Barry ordered.

"Use flamethrower!" Gary countered, leaving everyone in the crowd surprised by the command, especially Ash.

"I didn't know Electivire could learn flamethrower!" Ash exclaimed in complete surprise.

Meanwhile, Paul and Domino were sitting right near them, observing the battle, and also surprised that Electivire could learn flamethrower.

On the battlefield, Roserade unleashed the powerful grass type attack from her bouquet arms, while Electivire unleashed a stream of fire from his mouth. Both attacks went by each other and hit their targets, Electivire getting hit by the powerful grass attack, while Roserade got burned by the stream of fire. After the attacks were performed, both Pokemon were still standing tall. Not even another minute, they both collapsed with swirls in their eyes, indicating that they could not continue battling.

"Both Electivire and Roserade are unable to battle, this match is a draw!" The referee announced, waving both flags in the air.

Both trainers recalled their Pokemon into their pokeballs. Barry had no choice but to send out Empoleon, which gave him the disadvantage because Gary could easily counter him with a Pokemon with the type advantage. But Gary wanted to surprise everyone by using his best Pokemon.

"Blastoise, I choose you!" He exclaimed, releasing the Shellfish Pokemon from the spherical home.

"So it'll be a battle of each trainers first Pokemon, Empoleon vs. Blastoise! This will be an interesting match!" Rich commentated.

The giant, steel covered penguin and the blue, tortoise stared at each other, determined not to lose to the other. It was a battle for their pride as water Pokemon, which had Misty in the stands going crazy.

"Oh wow! Two powerful water type Pokemon! This'll be a great battle!" Misty exclaimed very happily, causing everyone around her to sweat drop. Some even thought she was crazy.

"Yeah; my girlfriend loves water Pokemon." Ash sheepishly answered for the actions of his red headed girlfriend.

"Empoleon, use steel wing!" Barry ordered.

"Counter with brick break!" Gary countered.

Both Pokemon ran towards each other and began to hit each other, Empoleon with its steel wings while Blastoise was using his short arms to counter the steel attack.

"Now use drill peck!" Barry yelled to his Pokemon.

The steel penguin began to spin himself as his beak began to glow, hitting the bulky tortoise in its stomach, making him fall back.

"Use skull bash!" Gary commanded.

Blastoise began to run and charged head first right at Empoleon with all his momentum, being surrounded by a white energy, causing Empoleon to take a couple steps back.

"Wow folks, this is quite a battle we're having here!"

Both Pokemon barely took any damage from the attacks, but Gary had a strategy to defeat Barry.

"Blastoise, use earthquake!"

The Shellfish Pokemon stomped his foot onto the ground, causing it to shake violently, obviously making it very uncomfortable for everyone, especially Empoleon.

"Let's end this now, use brick break!"

While Empoleon was trying to recover from the powerful earthquake, Blastoise sprinted and charged towards the steel penguin and used his arm and hit it directly in the head. Once Empoleon was hit, he fell over onto his back and fainted. The referee checked to see if it was fainted.

"Empoleon is unable to battle, Blastoise wins, which means Gary wins the battle!" The referee announced and the crowd cheered.

Both trainers recalled their Pokemon and met in the battlefield to shake hands. After meeting, they both walked to the Pokemon Center to heal their Pokemon and the next two trainers walked onto the battlefield to get ready for their battle.

"Now it will be Casey vs. Macy!"

"Go Macargo!" Macy exclaimed, releasing the fire/rock slug.

"Raticate, I choose you!" Casey exclaimed, releasing the giant rat.

"Use flamethrower!" The fire type lover exclaimed.

"Use quick attack to dodge!" The New Bark Town trainer countered.

Macargo charged up and unleashed a stream of fire, but missed its target as the rat quickly dodged and charged towards its target and hit it successfully.

"Finish it off with giga impact!" Casey exclaimed.

Raticate charged towards the slug, becoming surrounded by a purple energy with orange stream. Reaching closer and closer until it finally hit his target, and knocked it out in one hit.

"Macargo is unable to battle, Raticate wins!"

Macy returned the fainted Pokemon and grabbed her next Pokeball.

"Go Typhlosion!" She exclaimed, releasing the lava Pokemon.

"Let's go Raticate, use quick attack!" Casey exclaimed.

Once again, the giant and angry rat sprinted quickly towards its opponent. Casey thought she had another easy victory, but she had another thing coming.

"Typhlosion, use brick break!" Macy countered.

And with one strike with his arm, Raticate instantly fainted.

"Raticate is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins!"

Now it was Casey's turn to return her fainted Pokemon. She pulled out her next Pokeball and marveled over it because it was one of her favorite Pokemon.

"Let's go Electivire!" The Electabuzz baseball fan threw the pokeball, releasing the evolved form of her favorite team.

"Use fire punch Typhlosion!" Macy ordered.

"Use thunderpunch Electivire!" Casey commanded.

They ran towards the center of the battlefield and began to swing each other with their attacks, Typhlosion with his fire covered fists and Electivire with his thunder covered fists.

"Keep on going!" They both exclaimed.

They kept swinging until they both got very tired. Casey had an idea on how to end the very long and gruesome battle.

"Use earthquake Electivire!"

The Thunderbolt Pokemon picked up his foot and stomped the ground, causing it to shake violently and at the same time knocking out the Lava Pokemon.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle, Electivire wins!"

Macy returned her fire starter Pokemon and praised it for his hard work. She pulled out her pokeball and knew that this would be the perfect Pokemon.

"Go Camerupt!" She exclaimed, releasing the Eruption Pokemon. "Let's finish off Electivire with an earthquake!"

"Quick, jump!" Casey ordered.

However, the order came too late as Camerupt already stomped onto the ground, damaging the Thunderbolt Pokemon and fainted right away.

"Electivire is unable to battle, Camerupt wins!"

Casey disappointingly returned her Pokemon and praised it for its hard work. She looked at the last Pokeball with doubt showing on her face, but she needed to believe that she can win.

"I maybe on strike two, but this Pokemon will give me a grand slam to win this game! Go Meganium!" She exclaimed throwing the pokeball.

The Herb Pokemon came out with a brave and fearless look on its face, ready to take on the Eruption Pokemon.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but this will be a strike three for you." Macy commented on the situation.

"It seems that this is a desperation move on Casey's part." Rich commentated, pointing out the obvious.

"Don't listen to them and start this off with an energy ball!" Casey yelled.

Meganium formed up a ball of green energy and unleashed it from its mouth right at Camerupt, hitting it directly taking some damage.

"Let's end this now, fire blast!" Macy shouted across the field.

With that, the Eruption Pokemon unleashed the powerful fire attack from his mouth, forming the Chinese symbol for fire right at the Herb Pokemon. Casey didn't look fazed at all though.

"Meganium, use vine whip to jump and dodge it!" Casey ordered.

Meganium used its vines and slammed them onto the ground hard enough for it to dodge the incoming fire blast. It was be an understatement to say that everyone was surprised by the move.

"Wow, what a great way to dodge an attack!" Rich exclaimed.

"Hey Ash, I think she took something from your book." Misty commented, remembering that he used that strategy before.

"Maybe she did, but it was a good move though." Ash plainly said; seemingly not mad at her for using that move.

"Now use razor leaf!" Casey commanded.

While still in the air, the Herb Pokemon shot our sharp leaves from its flower neck at Camerupt.

"Burn them down with a flamethrower!" Macy commanded.

The eruption Pokemon shot out a powerful flame at the incoming leaves, completely disintegrating them.

"Now body slam!" Casey ordered.

Meganium used all of its momentum from being into the air and slammed on top of Camerupt's volcano back, which is where Macy would come up with the strategy to end this battle.

"Now use eruption!" Macy ordered.

The volcano on Camerupt's back began to boil and was going to erupt any second. Casey was aware of the situation and realized that she needed to get her Pokemon out of there.

"Get outta there!"

Unfortunately for Casey, it was too late as Camerupt already released the fire from its volcanic back and badly burned the grass type.

"Meganium is unable to battle; Camerupt is the winner, which means Macy moves on!" The referee announced.

Casey ran towards the burnt grass type to see if it was ok. Then a bunch of Chanseys came onto the field and grabbed it and carried it to the Pokemon Center, with Casey not far behind.

With that, Cameron already made it to the battlefield, waiting for his opponent. Misty was too busy with Ash.

"Well, wish me luck." She said to her boyfriend.

"You don't need it; I know you'll win." Ash replied to the red head, who was now letting her go to the battlefield.

"Good luck to you Misty." The Unova native shouted to his challenger across the battlefield.

"Good luck to you as well, Cameron." She yelled back.

"I choose you, Hydreigon!" Cameron shouted, releasing the Pseudo-Legendary Pokemon of Unova.

The Brutal Pokemon came out and unleashed a ferocious yell to try to intimidate her, but luckily for Misty, Ash told her about it and the rest of Cameron's Pokemon.

"Go Cloyster!" The Cerulean City gym leader exclaimed, releasing the Bivalve Pokemon.

"It looks like the first battle will be Hydreigon vs. Cloyster! This will be an interesting matchup!" Rich commentated.

"Hydreigon, use tri attack!" Cameron exclaimed.

Each of the heads of the Brutal Pokemon were forming a different element. The left head forming electricity, the middle head forming ice, and the right head forming fire. After charging, it finally released at the sitting Cloyster.

"Use protect!" Misty countered.

The Bivalve Pokemon formed a green shield surrounding itself, protecting itself from the powerful attack. Now was Misty's time to counter.

"Now, use ice beam!" She exclaimed.

With that, Cloyster opened its mouth and a stream of ice came out and hit Hydreigon directly in the stomach, causing a lot of damage to the Pseudo Legendary Dragon and Dark type.

"Follow up with a blizzard!" Misty ordered.

The Bivalve Pokemon began to whip up a snow storm and unleashed it onto the Brutal Pokemon. After the snowstorm cleared, Hydreigon was on the ground, fainted in defeat.

"Hydreigon is unable to battle, Cloyster wins!"

Cameron returned the fainted Pokemon back into the pokeball, disappointed that he lost right away. But he regained confidence by looking at his partner, who wasn't in the pokeball, Lucario.

"You ready to battle, Lucario?" Cameron asked his faithful Pokemon.

He nodded and jumped onto the already destroyed battlefield.

"Return, Cloyster." Misty recalled her Pokemon.

Misty was sticking to her strategy and knew who she had to bring out next.

"I choose you, Politoed!" Misty shouted, releasing the Frog Pokemon.

The green frog cheered happily as it had a chance to battle.

"Now Lucario, use aura sphere!" Cameron ordered the Aura Pokemon.

"Counter with focus blast!" Misty countered.

Lucario began to form a ball of energy between its hands and Politoed mimicked it, doing the same thing. Once they were both finished forming their attacks, they both released their attacks and they collided in the middle, causing an explosion. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon stood their without a scratch on them.

"Now use psychic!" Misty quickly ordered.

The green frog put its yellow hands onto its temple and began to concentrate on its target. With it still focusing, it attacked the black and blue jackal like Pokemon with the powerful psychic move. Now was the opportunity that Misty could not pass up.

"Finish it with brick break!" She commanded.

After being finished, Politoed jumped towards and hit it with its yellow hand and green arm on its head, instantly knocking it out.

"Lucario is unable to battle, Politoed wins!"

Cameron ran towards his knocked out partner, wondering if it was okay.

"Are you okay?" The Unova native asked his partner, obviously concerned for him. He responded by nodding his head up and down. The Aura Pokemon was able to get up on his own and walk towards the sideline. "I'm sorry Lucario."

The nerves were starting to get to him. He was on his last Pokemon while his opponent still had all three of hers. He stared at the pokeball nervously, but still believed in it none the less.

"Go Samurott!" He exclaimed, releasing the Formidable Pokemon.

"Return Politoed." Misty responded calmly, still sticking to her strategy. After she got a good look at the blue sea lion like Pokemon, she began to marvel over it.

"It's so beautiful! And it's so strong!" She marveled over her opponents Pokemon, causing Cameron to sweat drop.

"Elektra, are you ready to battle?" Misty asked her Pikachu that was on the ground the entire time.

"Pi!" (Yeah!) The female electric mouse responded confidently and ran onto the field, which made Cameron very surprised.

"Alright; I didn't see that coming. It doesn't matter though. Samurott, use aqua jet!" Cameron ordered.

"Elektra, use volt tackle!" Misty confidently said.

The blue sea lion jumped towards the small electric mouse, covered by a jet stream of water. While on the other end, Elektra charged at Samurott surrounded by yellow electricity. Both Pokemon met in the middle of the battlefield and an explosion happened where they collided. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were struggling to stand up. But at the end, Samurott collapsed and Elektra was left standing.

"Samurott is unable to battle, Pikachu wins, which means Misty is moving on to the next round!" The referee announced.

"Well there you have it folks, we're half way done. Now, we'll take an hour intermission so we can fix the battlefield!" Rich announced.

XXX

There's chapter 31! I'm completely sorry about the very long delay! I've been very busy lately, plus I had some writers block and the fact that I wrote all of these battles. Which leads me to this question, do you want me to write out the rest of the battles in this rounds? The rest of the battles are Brock vs. Harrison, Ash vs. Trip, Dominique (Domino) vs. Ritchie, and May vs. Dawn. I'm definitely going to write Ash's battle. Until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	33. Chapter 32- Sweet Sixteen Part 2

Maybe I'll write out all the battles for the elite 8. Well without further ado, here's the second part of the sweet sixteen!

Chapter 32- Sweet Sixteen- Part 2

After that they announced that the league would take a quick intermission from the battles, Ash, Misty, and Brock along with everyone else decided to get lunch in the stadium cafeteria. There were many things available for lunch like pizza, wings, chicken, ribs, and fish, among other delicious, mouthwatering meals. Ash being Ash, he grabbed more than one of everything. Once they found a table and sat down, Ash began to devour his food, which didn't sit well with Misty and everyone else, so she smacked him over the head with her mallet, causing him to fall off his seat and everyone laugh hysterically.

"Ow!" Ash exclaimed painfully, rubbing his own head to try to make it better while getting back into his seat. "What was that for?"

"No boyfriend of mine is going to eat like that in public." Misty answered with a smirk on her face, knowing that Ash wouldn't dare try it again.

Ash stared at May, seeing that she was eating the same way that Ash was, causing everyone to sweat drop and Ash to get a little irritated.

"Why aren't you saying anything to May about it?" The Pallet Town trainer asked his girlfriend slightly irritated that she wasn't getting a smack.

"Because May isn't my boyfriend." She replied in a straight tone, causing the gang to chuckle.

Ash went back to his food, ignoring the whole incident, except he was eating like a decent human being. After finishing another slice of pizza, Ash remembered he wanted to ask Misty something.

"Hey Misty," Ash said putting down a piece of pizza and getting his girlfriend's attention. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure Ash, what's up?" She asked curiously, wondering what was going through his mind.

"Do you know why Psyduck evolved?"

This caught not only her attention, but Brocks as well, who was talking to Dawn and May.

"I have no idea." She answered truthfully, with confusion in her eyes.

She didn't even remember that Psyduck evolved until Ash brought it up. In fact, she was curious about that herself. So she decided to let the blue duck Pokemon out of his poke ball and get an answer for her.

"Hey Golduck." Misty greeted her newly evolved Pokemon kindly. "I wanted to ask you something."

He looked at her curiously, wondering what his trainer could want to know.

"Well, what made you evolve out there on the battlefield?" She finally asked.

The blue duck answered in his own language that it was just in the heat of the moment and it didn't wanna lose the battle.

"Is that it?" Misty asked her once goofy Pokemon, wondering if there was any other reason that it would evolve. He confirmed that there wasn't.

"Well, it certainly makes sense." Brock chimed in. "Pokemon evolve just not to lose an important battle all the time."

"I guess so." Misty replied, taking out the pokeball that belonged to the blue duck. "Return."

"Attention ladies and gentleman, the next battles are about to begin in five minutes. Would Ash and Trip report to the battlefield." Mr. Goodshow announced through the stadium PA system.

XXX

During the break, Domino and Paul were in located in the secret area, not known to other trainers. They were speaking to their boss via video phone.

"So, do I get to use your 'powerful' Pokemon now?" Paul asked, questioning how powerful that Giovanni's Pokemon are.

"What do you think?" Domino asked the Team Rocket head honcho, who was holding his usual angry scowl.

He pondered at the questions asked towards him and finally answered. "Well, you did prove to be a powerful trainer and you won the first round with ease, so a promise is a promise."

He then sent both the trainers a bunch of pokeballs containing powerful Pokemon. Paul stared down at them and began to grow an evil grin.

"You better promise me a title with these Pokemon." Paul angrily spat at the boss and began to walk away, leaving Domino and Giovanni to discuss future plans.

XXX

"Looks like it's my time to shine!" Ash exclaimed happily, as he finally gets his chance to battle.

The gang all finished their food and got to the arena, where Ash was making his way towards the battlefield, along with his opponent and his rival from Unova, Trip.

Trip, just like most people, didn't really change physically other than getting taller. He wore the same black hoodie with orange jacket and grey khakis and running shoes. He still had the same dirty blonde hair, which didn't change length at all.

"**Now, ladies and gentleman, welcome back to the sweet sixteen round!" **Rich announced to the audience in attendance. **"And now the first battle to finish up this round will Ash from Kanto versus Trip from Unova!" **

Trip took out his camera and began to take pictures of the crowd and of Ash before entering his trainer box.

"You ready to lose?" Trip arrogantly taunted towards the Pallet Town trainer while he stepped in.

"We'll see who loses and wins." Ash countered.

"Go Ash! Kick his butt!" Misty, May, and Dawn cheered from the stands.

"I better see you in the next round, Ashy Boy!" Gary yelled, leaving Ash not knowing whether he was cheering for him or threatening him. Either way, he appreciated.

"Go Unfezant!" The Unova native trainer exclaimed, releasing the flying type and letting it fly in the air.

Ash thought that Trip would use his Unfezant. So he strategized his team based on the Pokemon that he thought that Trip would use.

"I choose you, Emboar!" Ash threw the pokeball, releasing the fire/fighting mega pig Pokemon. He snarled angrily at the Proud Pokemon, and then shouted his name while pumping his right fist into the air.

"_Why is he using Emboar? Doesn't he know that it's weak to flying type moves?" _Trip observed Ash's choice with a somewhat confused look on his face.

"_Perfect, he looks so confused. He has no idea on what my strategy is." _Ash thought happily, looking at his opponent on the other side of the field.

"Let the battle begin!" The referee exclaimed.

"Let's end this quick, use aerial ace!" Trip ordered the grey bird.

The Proud Pokemon circled around and flew at its opponent at high speed. Trip was confident that it would be strong enough to knock it out with one move. Ash however, remained calm.

"Wait Emboar." Ash said calmly as his loyal Pokemon watched the flying type get closer. "Just about…" Unfezant was only about three feet away from striking Emboar. "Now, use thunderpunch!"

"No! Get out of the way!" Trip ordered as quickly as possible, but it was too late as he watched his Unfezant get hit by Emboar's electrocuted fist. After the attack, Unfezant was covered in static, fainted on the ground after one super effective thunderpunch.

"Unfezant is unable to battle, Emboar is the winner!"

"**Wow! Only one hit, Emboar knocked out Unfezant! Who will Trip's next Pokemon be?"**

Trip couldn't believe that it only took one hit to knock out his Pokemon. As he returned his fainted Pokemon, he remained calm and picked up the next pokeball, certain that he would earn the victory.

"Let's go Jellicent!" The blue, Floating Pokemon came out of his pokeball ready for battle.

After the referee signaled for the battle to begin, Ash didn't waste any time to attack. "Use fire blast!" The Mega Fire Pig spat a stream of fire that soon transformed into the Chinese symbol for fire coming right at Trip's Pokemon.

"Counter with hydro pump!" Trip ordered. Right before Jellicent got hit, he shot out the powerful water attack from his mouth. It was powerful enough to shoot right through and destroy the fire blast and directly hit Emboar, which caused him to fall onto his back.

"Emboar, are you okay?!" Ash exclaimed in worry for his Pokemon. The bulky, mega fire pig was slowly getting up and once he did, he was ready for the next command. "We still got one more trick up our sleeve Trip! Use wild charge!"

With static running through its entire body, Emboar began to sprint towards the water/ghost type opponent. Trip gained a concern look on his face as he certainly knew if his Pokemon got hit by it, it would faint.

"Jellicent, hurry up and use shadow ball!" Trip quickly ordered his Pokemon based on instinct. The Floating Pokemon began to form a black and purple ghost type attack with its tentacles. He was still charging up when Emboar was merely five feet away. "Unleash it now!"

Jellicent released the attack as soon as Emboar made contact with it, causing a massive explosion in the middle of the field. Black smoke was passing throughout the battlefield, causing the two trainers to cover their faces. Once the smoke cleared, Jellicent was in a little bit of pain, but was still floating strong, meanwhile Emboar was on his back, with swirls in the eyes, indicating that it was fainted.

"Emboar is unable to battle, Jellicent wins!"

"**And after a couple of strong attacks, Emboar goes down! Who will Ash's next Pokemon be?" **

Ash looked down at his belt and grabbed the next pokeball knowing that this Pokemon could win and would certainly surprise Trip.

"I choose you, Serperior!" He exclaimed, throwing the pokeball and unveiling the green serpentine.

Trip saw Ash's Serperior and was quite impressed that the trainer from "the boonies" was able to evolve his own Snivy. But he knew that he could defeat it and with ease. "I see Snivy evolved, but you still won't win. Jellicent, use shadow ball!"

"Dodge it with dig!" With the command called by his trainer, Serperior dove into the ground and dodged the black and purple ghost attack. After staying underground for a few seconds, she finally shot up and hit the Floating Pokemon right into its center, causing it to fall back. "Now finish this with leaf storm!"

"Get out of the way!" Unfortunately for Trip, Jellicent was still fazed by the ground attack and was an easy target for Ash's Pokemon.

Serperior began to form a tornado of leaves. She was still gaining power for a one hit knock out. Once she finished powering up the attack, she unleashed the powerful grass attack at the water/ghost type.

Trapped in the tornado, there was nothing that Jellicent could do except take the damage. Once the attack ceased, Trip's Pokemon fell onto the ground and was exhausted and could not battle anymore.

"Jellicent is unable to battle, Serperior wins!"

"**And with a beautiful combination of dig and leaf storm, Ash's Serperior is able to get the win! Who will Trip's last Pokemon be?" **

Trip grinned while grabbing his last pokeball from his belt, knowing that he could win. Once he threw it from his hand, his own Serperior came out and slithered onto the field. He decided that it would be a showdown of the same Pokemon.

Both Pokemon began to slither in a circle, staring each other down, waiting for their trainers to call out an attack.

"Alright; if you won't go then I will! Use iron tail!" Ash called out to his Pokemon. His green serpentine began quickly slither right towards Trip's. Before he went forth with the attack, it jumped high into the air while her tail completely turning into metal.

Ash's opponent didn't seem fazed at all, like he was expecting him to use an attack like that. "Dodge and use aerial ace!"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise and confusion.

As Ash's Serperior came down with the steel type attack, Trip's gracefully dodged it with ease. And more bad news for Ash, Serperior's tail got stuck into the ground with the attack missing, leaving it wide open for the super effective attack.

Trip's came down from the air, charging at it with full speed. It seemed like it was only a green flash as Ash's got hit and screamed its name in pain. The Unova native decided that it was time to end this battle. "Finish it with giga impact!"

Once again at unbelievable speed, Trip's Regal Pokemon charged right at Ash's surrounded by a purple light complimented with orange streaks. Once he reached his target, she took a lot of damage and because of it, she fainted.

"Ash's Serperior is unable to battle, Trip's Serperior is the winner!"

"I didn't know that Serperior could learn aerial ace." Dawn said from the sideline sitting with all of Ash's friends.

"I don't know much about Unova Pokemon so I couldn't tell you much." Misty informed Ash's Sinnoh traveling companion.

"Same here." Brock admitted as well.

"**With an unbelievable set of attacks, Trip was able to defeat Ash's Serperior! Now what will Ash's last Pokemon be?"**

Ash picked up the last pokeball he was going to use for this battle and admired the Pokemon that was inside it. This Pokemon had been through a lot of tough training to get where it is today. He knew he could win, even with the type disadvantage.

"I choose you, Samurott!"

"What?!" Ash's friends were screaming from the sidelines. They knew that Samurott had the disadvantage because of Misty's battle with Cameron's Samurott.

"Are you trying to lose on purpose?" Trip laughed at Ash and his decision to use the water type Pokemon against his grass type.

"If you really knew me, you'd know that type advantage doesn't mean anything to me." Ash retorted back to the dirty blonde haired trainer confidently.

"Whatever, it's your funeral. Use energy ball!" Trip called to his Pokemon. The green serpentine formed a green ball of energy in its mouth and then shot it at its opponent. He knew that it would do a lot of damage.

Ash didn't order it to do anything, not to even dodge it, which is unlike him. He was unfazed as he kept his confident grin as Samurott seemed to just shake off the attack like it was nothing. But Trip meanwhile, was getting angry and confused on why it seemed to do basically nothing. "Use dragon tail!"

Serperior's tail began to glow a light blue and he swung at it with full force at his target. Once again, Ash didn't order it to dodge. Everyone in the stands were getting confused on what he was doing or even thinking.

"Why isn't Ash ordering it to dodge?!" May yelled very angrily.

"I don't know," Brock answered for everyone. "It must be a part of his strategy."

"What strategy? A strategy to lose?!" Misty yelled at the Pokemon Doctor. She then turned to the battlefield and yelled "You better attack him now otherwise you'll lose!"

Ash grinned at what he saw. Even though Samurott took some damage from energy ball and dragon tail, it had plenty of fight in him.

"_It's time to put our strategy into effect." _He thought confidently. "Samurott, you know what to do."

Samurott looked back at his trainer and nodded. Then it seemed out of nowhere, it seemed that a snow storm was going to occur. Clouds were forming over the battlefield and small chunks of hail began to fall from the sky.

"_What's he thinking?" _Trip thought in confusion as he couldn't figure out what Ash was doing yet.

"**It seems that we're having some kind of a snow storm on our hands."**

"What's going on?" Cameron asked, rubbing his arms together as he was getting cold.

"He's using hail." Misty quickly answered the other Unova native that she defeated in battle. "And I know what his strategy is now."

"What is it?" May and Dawn asked in unison, curious to see what Ash was doing.

"Just watch."

"Now use ice beam!" Ash ordered the Formidable Pokemon.

"Dodge it!" Trip quickly commanded.

The sea lion like Pokemon shot a beam of ice from his mouth, purposely missing the green serpentine, leaving Trip even more confused. Then he finally let his emotions get the best of him. "What are you planning?!"

Ash simply ignored the command as Samurott kept on using ice beam onto the battlefield, eventually freezing the ground to make it very thick.

"**Ash's Samurott is completely missing Serperior. What could he be thinking?"**

"Now use blizzard!"

"Oh no!" Trip nervously exclaimed, finally figuring out what he was trying to do. "Use dig to dodge it!" His Pokemon heeded the order, but when he tried to get underground, all he did was hurt his head on the thick ice that was covering the battlefield. And also, Serperior was victim to the snow storm that was heading its way. The snowstorm engulfed the Regal Pokemon and was surrounded by a mist. Once the snowstorm died down, it was covered with ice chunks, lying on the ice covered ground fainted.

The referee observed the green serpentine to see if it was able to continue, it wasn't. "Serperior is unable to battle, Samurott wins. Which means Ash Ketchum will be advancing to the elite eight!"

"So that's what he did." Brock observed happily as he saw Ash run up to his Pokemon.

"Yes; he froze the battlefield so Serperior would have no chance of escaping the blizzard. He used hail so he knew that it would definitely hit." Gary further explained for everyone there.

"And it worked to perfection." Misty added, happy to see her boyfriend win the battle.

Ash walked up to Samurott and happily praised his Pokemon, which in return, made the water type sea otter very happy. After Trip returned his fainted Serperior, both trainers walked outside the now frozen battlefield and met in the center to shake hands.

"Nice job Ash," Trip kept a blank face, surprisingly complimented the Pallet Town trainer. "Now you better win the whole thing."

Ash gave him a small grin and replied, "You know I will."

With that, Trip walked off the battlefield and Ash walked up towards the stands where all of his friends were and each of them congratulated him on his victory.

"Nice strategy there Ash!" Brock complimented.

"It seems you've pulled another Buneary out the hat." Gary surprisingly complimented.

"Great job Ash!" May, Dawn, Cameron, and Ritchie congratulated him.

"Awesome battle sweetie!" Misty sweetly said to her boyfriend before she brought him in for a tight embrace. "I knew you could win!"

"Thanks Misty." Ash replied back, then proceeding to kiss her in front of everyone.

"Get a room you two!" Barry shouted angrily at the couple. "If you don't, I'm going to have to fine you!" Everyone sweat dropped at his mini outburst.

After Ash returned his Samurott, he gave his three starting Unova Pokemon to the Nurse Joy who was stationed on the battlefield so he could watch the rest of the battles that were to take place that day. It was Brock and Harrison.

As Ash took my seat next to Misty, they continued to watch the battles for the rest of the day. The first battle finished quite fast as Brock released his Chansey and Harrison released his Hypno. Chansey protected itself from Hypno's dynamic punch, but then Hypno came back with a focus punch, which successfully landed. It looked like it hurt a lot, but knowing Brock, he had a strategy to comeback right away. He ordered Chansey to use a shadow ball, which knocked out Hypno right away.

Harrison then sent out a Gallade, which he must have caught recently. It looked and was really powerful. It took out Brock's Chansey with a brick break and close combat. I wondered who Brock would send out against it. He sent out his Crobat.

That battle was a pretty long battle as they both used attacks that were super effective against each other. But eventually, it ended as a draw.

And now both Harrison and Brock were down to their last Pokemon. To no one's surprise, Harrison chose the fire/fighting Hoenn type starter Blaziken. Brock decided to use Swampert, the water/ground Hoenn starter. It was an epic battle and the winner was Brock and Swampert.

The third battle of the day was Dominique and Ritchie. I wished them both luck in their match before they made their way to the battlefield. I was as surprised as everyone else at what happened during the battle: Dominique swept him. Not only swept him, but in what seemed like record time.

It was really strange because it seemed like she knew exactly what Pokemon he was going to use and what order he was going to use them in. She used a Poliwrath to take out Ritchie's Charizard, nicknamed Zippo, and then she used a Mienshao to take out his Tyranitar, nicknamed Cruise, and finally she used a Seismitoad to take out his Pikachu, nicknamed Sparky.

The final match of the day was May and Dawn's battle, which I was looking forward to as well. It was more entertaining and close than the last battle. Dawn started out with her Mamoswine and May started out with her Venusaur. It was a pretty long match, but Mamoswine beat Venusaur. May then used her Blastoise to beat Mamoswine. Dawn countered with her Typhlosion and somehow beat Blastoise. May then used Blaziken to beat Typhlosion and in a very close match, her Empoleon.

After the match, all the trainers made their way to the battlefield to see the next matches.

"**So ladies and gentleman that concludes the round of sixteen! Now, here are the matches for the elite eight!" **

All of the trainer's faces, which were Ash, Misty, Brock, Gary, May, Macy, Dominique, and Paul, appeared on the big screen and began to shuffle around. Everyone had the same thought as the faces were being shuffled around:

"_Who am I going to face?"_

XXX

Well that's chapter 32! I decided to cut it short and only fully write out Ash's and Trip's battle. And I cannot say how sorry I am for the very long delay. I was having writers block trying to write the rest of the battles. Plus I've been getting more hours at my job. Even though I'm done with school, I still don't have that much free time, which sucks.

Enough of my excuses. Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter. I know I didn't write out all the battles, but they would have taken forever. And most likely I won't write out all the battles for the elite eight. Hopefully, I get that started and finished in a reasonable amount of time. Until then, see ya! Rates and Reviews are appreciated.

P.S- Sorry again for the long wait.


	34. Chapter 33- The Elite 8- Part 1

Here we begin the elite 8! We've got some good battles here. You'll all see. So without further ado, here's chapter 33!

Chapter 33- The Elite 8 Part 1: The Better Rival and the Rematch!

The remaining competitors in the tournament watched as their faces shuffled around on the giant stadium screen. Each of the competitors felt the tension rising in the air. Most of them wanted to know who they were battling; with the exception of Domino and Paul because whoever they were going to battle that they would absolutely destroy them.

"**And here are the matches that will begin tomorrow!" **

As the faces stopped moving around, they all found a home. The results came up in the following: Gary vs. Paul, Misty vs. Macy, Brock vs. Ash, and May vs. Dominique.

Gary wasn't too happy to be paired against Ash's Sinnoh rival. They glared at each other for about a minute and then Paul decided that it was pointless to keep going, so he walked away. Domino on the other hand, wanted to stay incognito and wished May good luck.

"Good luck in our battle tomorrow." Dominique said to her opponent tomorrow, putting out her hand for a handshake.

"Good luck to you too." May responded as she gladly accepted the handshake, not knowing who's hand she was shaking.

As she walked out of the main stadium, an evil grin grew onto her face as she knew she completely fooled them. _"I've got them all fooled. They'll never know who I really am until it's too late." _

Misty was happy to see that she'll have the chance to beat Macy again. When they both made eye contact with each other, they ran up in each other's faces. If their eyes were guns, they'd be shooting each other with all the bullets they had in the chamber.

"You're going down, little girl!" Misty shouted angrily as she looked down at the fire type lover as they were now in each other's faces.

"I don't think so! I think it's you who'll be losing!" Macy shouted back at her, looking up at her opponent.

Brock and Ash both pulled Misty away from Macy, who was dragged away by Gary. After things calmed down with Misty, Ash realized that he was facing Brock. He was a little upset. Brock could tell that Ash was uncertain if he wanted to battle.

"Look Ash, let's do our best. You're one to never back down from a battle, no matter who it's against." Brock said to his best friend, trying to encourage him.

"Yeah, you're right Brock. Thanks." Ash replied, smiling back at his best friend.

After the results and all the reaction, Ash, Brock, Misty, May, Macy, and Gary all returned to their respective cabins to get sleep for the next day. Paul and Domino returned to their cabin as well, but they were staying up talking to their boss.

"So these are all of your opponents Pokemon. These devices will show you your opponent's team when they are done selecting. You'll select your team based off of theirs." Giovanni explained as he sent them the tracking device.

"Yes sir." Domino replied.

"_My team can take out everyone else's left in this tournament." _Paul thought somewhere in his mind as he looked down at the tracking device and looked back at the screen where he saw the Team Rocket boss sitting in his chair. He really thought he was the best left in the tournament and didn't need his Pokemon, but he didn't wanna take any risk of losing and pissing Giovanni off. "Yes sir."

"Good; now don't let me down." He evilly demanded from the both of them as the screen went blank.

Both of them went to sleep after their brief meeting.

XXX

The next morning was very silent, especially between Ash and Brock. It's not that they wouldn't be friends again; it's just that Ash always gets those pre battle nerves, even though he's not battling right away.

Before they all went to breakfast, they individually registered their teams they would use for the round. And as planned, they saw both Paul and Dominique selecting last.

After everyone had selected their team, they had made it towards the stadium, getting ready for the battles to begin.

"**The first battle of the day will be Paul vs. Gary! Both trainers report to the battlefield immediately." **Rich announced through the loud speakers.

Paul took the red side while Gary took the green side of the field. According to battle analysts, Gary was the underdog in this battle, but Ash and the gang told him that they believed in him and wanted him to win instead of Paul.

"This battle will be a full six on six battle." The referee began to explain. "Trainers may only substitute when a Pokemon is defeated. Are you both ready?" They both nodded. "Then let the battle begin!"

The wheel on the screen began to turn as it was to indicate who was to select first. Luckily for Gary, it landed on Paul.

"Lucario, stand by for battle!" He carelessly threw the pokeball as it released the Aura Pokemon. Ash observed this Lucario and noticed that something wasn't right.

"Something's not right with this Lucario." Ash said out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked curiously. Other than battling Cameron's Lucario, she had never seen one before.

"Well, this one seems..." Ash began to ponder to figure out the right word he wanted to say "evil."

"Wait, are you sensing it with your aura Ash?" Brock asked seriously, facing the trainer.

"Yes; I don't know if I'm correct or not, but something's not right."

"But Ash, you can't do anything right now." May reasoned with him. "They're already out there battling."

Unfortunately for Ash, May was right. He really couldn't do anything except watch the battle. But he knew something was up with Paul ever since he came to the tournament.

"Alright; then I know who I'm going with!" Gary exclaimed as he threw the poke ball and his Arcanine came out.

The referee waved both of the flags he held in his hands. "Let the match begin!"

"Extremespeed!" Both trainers exclaimed. Both Pokemon began to gain momentum as they sprinted towards each other. Both were close and about to hit each other, until Gary called out another order that Paul couldn't hear. And after the attack, Lucario had to hop back and was wincing in pain and then was covered in flames, leaving Paul surprised.

"What happened?!" The Team Rocket trainer yelled angrily, demanding what happened due to the noise of the crowd being too loud for him to hear. Once the crowd died down, Gary explained how Lucario got burned. "I used fire fang as we got close to impact."

Paul growled angrily, realizing that he made a dumb mistake. "Use earthquake, now!" The Pokemon owned by Team Rocket stomped onto the ground, causing the entire stadium to tremble and hurting Gary's Arcanine greatly.

Gary had to think of something fast if he wanted Arcanine to still be in the battle. "Jump up and use flamethrower!" The Legendary Pokemon obliged as he jumped into the air and unleashed a barrage of fire from its mouth right at the Aura Pokemon, but due to its speed, it swiftly dodged the attack. After evading the super effective move, it began to feel the burn effect.

Domino was watching from the sideline, disgusted on how the battle was going.

"_This guy's pathetic if he can't control a little Lucario." _She angrily thought. _"It doesn't matter though; we'll be done with him soon anyway." _

"Finish this with aura sphere!" Paul ordered. The Team Rocket Pokemon charged up probably the biggest aura sphere that anyone had ever seen and unleashed it onto the beast that landed onto the already crumbled battlefield, causing dust to cover the entire battlefield. Once it cleared, Arcanine was lying on the ground fainted.

To be sure, the referee ran up to it to see if it would respond; it didn't. "Arcanine is unable to battle, Lucario wins!"

"**And just like that, Arcanine's knocked out! Who will Gary use next?"**

Gary was angry that he lost so early. He returned the fainted Pokemon and praised it for its efforts. He then picked the next pokeball from his belt. "Go Magmortar!" The gigantic fire type looked down at the smaller fighting/steel type Pokemon, ready to battle.

"Use fire blast!" The Blast Pokemon pointed his cannon arms towards the Aura and unleashed two powerful flames that turned into the Chinese symbol and directly hit Lucario. With his burn already affecting him, Lucario fell onto the ground and fainted.

Paul returned the Pokemon and cursed it out silently. Domino noticed how Paul was struggling with the Team Rocket Pokemon. She simply smiled evilly, knowing that he would be of no use soon.

He pulled out the next pokeball. "Let's go Poliwrath!" The Tadpole Pokemon was stronger and more built than normal Poliwrath. Once again, this didn't sit right with Ash because he didn't remember Paul having or mentioning a Poliwrath.

"I don't remember him having a Poliwrath at all the last time I saw him." Ash said out loud, being very confused about what's going on with Paul.

"Maybe he caught new Pokemon throughout his travels Ash." Misty reasoned with him.

"I doubt it." Dawn chimed in. "He's a big jerk to everyone and his Pokemon. He'd throw them away in an instant if they weren't powerful enough for him."

On the battlefield, Paul's powerful Poliwrath was destroying Gary's Magmortar, using nothing but strong hydro pumps. Gary was using thunderbolt on it, but it wouldn't go down. It was very strange for everyone, except for Domino and Paul.

XXX

Even the champions noticed the difference, sitting in the VIP suites of the stadium. They've been observing Paul and this "Dominique" ever since the tournament began.

"These aren't the Pokemon Paul own." Cynthia said, concerned about what had happened to the young Sinnoh trainer.

"Are you sure that he could have caught them on his journey here?" Lance turned his head towards her and asked the Sinnoh Champion.

"I'm positive; I know what he's like." Cynthia answered immediately.

"What do you mean Cynthia?" Steven Stone asked her, confused on what she meant.

XXX

After witnessing Magmortar being defeated, Gary returned his fainted Pokemon. The battle had basically begun and Gary was already upset on what was going on. He lost two Pokemon within 10 minutes. And he soon lost his Nidoqueen, which made it three. His tension was rising and was continuing throughout the rest of the battle. He then sent out Electivire and hoped for the type advantage would work.

"Use thunder!" The massive, humanoid shaped electric type unleashed a powerful blast of electricity to power up a light house for a week. After the attack ceased, Poliwrath was burnt on the battlefield. Normally Gary wouldn't order his Pokemon to nearly kill another, but Paul was really getting to him.

"**And Gary is slowly but surely making a comeback. Can he keep it up?"**

"Worthless." Paul mumbled as he returned the fainted water/fighting type. He reached for another pokeball and effortlessly throwing it onto the field, not caring what it was because he knew it would defeat his last three Pokemon and what came out was a gargantuan of a Rhyperior.

Gary knew that this wasn't good, so he returned Electivire for later. He then sent out his Nidoking.

"Earthquake!" Both trainers shouted. Both massive Pokemon stomped their feet onto the ground and caused the stadium to tremble once again. After they both realized it was a draw, Paul made the first move to beat Gary to the punch. "Ice punch!"

The Drill Pokemon's fist was now covered in ice heading right towards Nidoking and once it made contact with his chin, he pushed all the way through and knocked out Gary's Pokemon with one hit.

The same result would happen with his Golem and eventually his Electivire, which meant that Paul was the winner of the match. Gary walked out of the stadium and went to the Pokemon center.

"**And with that, Paul's our winner! Let's get ready for our next battle!" **

Ash and Paul had another stare down, which Paul walked away from again. Ash was staring angrily at the walking away figure and Misty watched the entire time, knowing that nothing she could say would calm him down. And then she noticed that it was her time to battle against the person who she hated the most: Macy.

Both ladies made their way to the stadium and waited for the match to begin. After the referee waved both flags up, Macy released her Electivire.

"I'm going to sweep your entire team with just my Electivire!" Macy shouted at the orange hair gym leader.

"That's what you think! Go Quagsire!"

On the sidelines, her two best friends, one of them being her boyfriend, were quite surprised and weren't even aware that she had caught a Quagsire in the past few days.

"Quagsire?"

"When did she get that?"

Back on the battlefield, Macy growled at the decision she made. She knew she made a bad decision going with Electivire as soon as she saw Misty released Quagsire. Macy was aware that she was at a major disadvantage, but didn't want to panic and switch Pokemon right away. So now her only option was to try to exhaust out the Water Fish Pokemon as much as possible.

"Electivire, the only way you can beat it is if you get up close." Her Thunderbolt Pokemon nodded. "Now, start this with brick break!"

Misty simply grinned, knowing how to defeat the Thunderbolt Pokemon. "Slip past it and use earthquake!"

As Electivire was chopping down with the powerful fighting move, Quagsire slipped past the attack and stomped his foot onto the ground and shook the battlefield, once again, destroying the battlefield even more; and more importantly for Misty, damaging Electivire. She just needed it to finish it off with one more move. "Use hydro pump!"

The Water Fish Pokemon unleashed a barrage of water from its mouth and hit the Thunderbolt Pokemon directly in the chest, causing it to fall onto its back and knocking it out.

"**And Quagsire easily takes out Macy's secret weapon, giving Misty the early win! Can Macy find a way to take out her Quagsire?"**

Macy was starting to feel sweat trickle down her cheek. She knew early on that she would have a disadvantage against Misty for being a fire type specialist. But she did have another Pokemon in her arsenal just for this occasion. And she decided now was the time to use it. "Let's go Leafeon!"

"I didn't know she had that!" Ash exclaimed from the sideline.

"She must use Leafeon for this type of situation." Brock analyzed. "Let's see how Misty handles this."

Misty smiled when she saw the grass type. She was confident that her Pokemon would be able to take it out. "Just because you have a grass type, doesn't mean you'll win! Use ice beam!"

The Water Fish Pokemon shot a beam of ice from its mouth and the result was that it completely missed, which obviously shocked the Cerulean City Gym Leader. "What? How did it move that fast?!"

"I've trained my Leafeon to be very fast. So no matter what you throw at it, you'll miss every time." Misty's hated rival explained. "Leafeon use energy ball!"

The Verdant Pokemon began to form a green ball of energy from its mouth, which kept getting bigger and bigger, and then she finally shot it at the water/ground opponent. Unfortunately for Misty, it was a direct hit on her Quagsire and after being hit by the super effective move, it was seen on the ground fainted.

"Quagsire is unable to battle, Leafeon wins!"

"**Wow, what a comeback as Macy brings out another secret weapon! Who will Misty use to counter Leafeon?"**

Misty would have the answer. In fact, she had two. She mentally debated who to use between Gyarados and Tentacruel. She figured that she would need Gyarados later on in the battle, so she decided to use Tentacruel.

She unleashed the intimidating Jellyfish Pokemon from its spherical home and hissed its name out, glaring down his opponent.

As soon as the referee raised his flags, Misty came out attacking right away. "Tentacruel, use sludge bomb!" The Jellyfish began to unleash bombs of purple, toxic, and gooey sludge at the grass type opponent.

"Try to use energy ball!" Macy ordered. She realized that when she tried to unleash the attack and dodge at the same time, it proved to be unsuccessful.

Macy kept ordering Leafeon to dodge the poison bombs, which is what Misty wanted. When Tentacruel stopped its attack, Leafeon slipped on one of the bombs and landed on its side and unfortunately for Macy, that little bit of poison got the Verdant Pokemon poisoned. Misty noticed and decided to let Macy know.

"Macy, Leafeon has been poisoned. Do you wanna keep going?" The gym leader asked her opponent. Macy now realized that there was no way Leafeon could come back and win, so she decided to surrender the round. She then reached for her next pokeball. "Go Camerupt!"

"Let's end this battle quickly, Tentacruel! Use water pul-"

"Earthquake Camerupt!" Macy interrupted her opponent as the Eruption Pokemon raised its front feet and stomped the ground, shaking the battlefield for the umpteenth time since the beginning in the tournament. After the attack, Tentacruel was barely standing. Misty tried to announce a move, but Macy already ordered a stone edge to end the battle.

"**And Tentacruel goes down! Who will Misty send out next?!"**

She picked up the pokeball and stared at it. This would be the Pokemon, for hopefully her sake, would sweep the rest of Macy's team. "Let's go Golduck!"

After the referee let it be known that the match began, Misty ordered Golduck to use water pulse on Macy's Camerupt and it knocked it out with one hit.

Golduck did the same thing happened with Macy's next two Pokemon, Magmortar and Ninetales. Macy grabbed her last pokeball and developed a new found confident smile. "Misty, even though I'm down to my last Pokemon, I'm still gonna win because this is my strongest Pokemon!" She explained as she chucked the pokeball and revealing to be her fire type Johto starter Typhlosion.

Misty felt a sweat drop trickle down her cheek. She knew her Typhlosion was tough and figured that she would be her sweeper. She also knew that she would be in trouble.

Macy's Typhlosion used a wild charge to take out Misty's already tired Golduck. The young fire type trainer also took out her Gyarados in a very long battle. So now Misty had two Pokemon left. She had Politoed and Starmie left. Misty thought that Politoed would be the better choice in the matter, so she released the green frog. "Let's go Politoed, use hydro pump!"

Macy did what she did the entire time she had her starter out. "Use wild charge!" While being hit with the powerful water type move, sparks of electricity came out of the flame Pokemon, charging through the water. As Typhlosion got closer, they both ran into each other, causing a mini explosion in the middle of the battlefield. Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were on the ground fainted.

"Both Politoed and Typhlosion are unable to battle. Macy has run out of useable Pokemon, which means Misty is the winner!" The referee announced, causing the crowd to go wild, especially Ash and the gang.

Macy and Misty met in the middle of the battlefield, shook hands, and seemed to become friends.

"Congrats Misty, I hope you or Ash win the entire thing." Macy happily said to Ash's girlfriend.

"Thanks Macy. It means a lot to me." Misty replied in the same tone.

"**And that's that ladies and gentleman! Tomorrow will be May vs. Dominique and Ash vs. Brock!" **

After the battles, spectators returned to their homes and trainers returned to their cabins. Ash laid down into his bed and began to think about tomorrow. _"Why do I have to battle Brock out of all people?" _

XXX

There's chapter 33! Sorry I took so long. And as you saw, I really half assed the battles, especially the Paul and Gary. I just need to get through this point of the tournament real quickly. In a couple of chapters is where it really starts to get crazy! I can't wait to get there. As for an update, I don't know when the next time I'll update, but hopefully soon. And btw, it's my birthday today! Hooray for me! I'm 19! So until next time, see ya! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	35. Chapter 34- The Elite 8- Part 2

I'm going to try to get this chapter done as fast as possible, hopefully by the end of the week, but most likely next week is when it'll be out. But without further ado, here's chapter 34!

Chapter 34- The Elite 8- Part 2- Domino's Dominance and Best Friends Battle!

"**And Blastoise goes down!" **Rich's voice exclaimed throughout the entire stadium. Domino, known by Dominique by everyone except Paul, was completely dominating her battle against May. To say that she was overwhelmed and frustrated was an understatement. This battle was no contest what so ever for the undercover Team Rocket agent. As for May, she was down to her last Pokemon while Domino didn't even lose her first Pokemon, which was a very speedy yet powerful Scrafty.

May picked up her last pokeball and admired who was in it. She knew she wouldn't win the battle over all, but she knew that she could bring down Dominique's Scrafty with this Pokemon. "Let's go Blaziken!"

The Hoenn fire/fighting starter came out and his wrists shot out flames and shouted its name, indicating that it was ready for battle.

The referee gave the ok for the battle to begin; May didn't want to give Domino a chance to attack at all. "Blaziken use sky uppercut!"

"Dodge it!" Dominique quickly countered. As Blaziken began to uppercut the small dark/fighting type, Scrafty began to dodge them by flipping backwards. This went on for about five minutes, than Domino wanted to end this.

"Enough of this, I've had my fun. Scrafty use headbutt!" The Rocket undercover ordered. After dodging one last sky uppercut, the Hoodlum Pokemon sprang forward towards the Blaze Pokemon head first.

"Now sky uppercut and then dive down and use aerial ace!" Blaziken stood its ground as Domino's Scrafty kept going in for the hit. Once the Hoodlum Pokemon was close enough, Blaziken hit Scrafty with a very powerful and super effective uppercut attack and while it was in the air, it used its very powerful legs to jump 100 feet in the air and dived head first directly at its opponent with another super effective attack, which hit again successfully. Once they both made it to the ground, Blaziken stood up tall while Scrafty was lying on the ground defeated.

"Scrafty is unable to battle, Blaziken wins!"

"**Blaziken finally takes out Dominique's first Pokemon! But does Blaziken have what it takes to pull off a stunning upset?!" **

"Finally I take out one of her Pokemon." May mumbled to herself.

Domino returned her fainted Pokemon, cursing at it silently in order to keep her cover. She then took out her next pokeball. "Nice job taking out my Scrafty, but let's see how you do against this!" She exclaimed as she threw the pokeball and a very large Walrein came out. It was larger than most Walrein because this one towered over May's Blaziken.

But May and Blaziken weren't going to back down. They wanted to keep going until they truly lost. So without any hesitation, she called out an attack. "Use sky uppercut and then flamethrower!"

The Blaze Pokemon sprinted across the battlefield and gave the Ice Break Pokemon a very powerful and super effective uppercut to its jaw. After doing so, it jumped back and scorched it with an equally powerful flamethrower. After the set of attacks, Domino's Walrein was left burnt. She knew she had to stop it now if she wanted to win. "Come on Walrein; finish this off with a surf attack!"

Heeding the order, the big, blue walrus created a giant wave and was heading right towards the Blaze Pokemon. May had to think fast, "Blaziken, jump over the wave and use another flamethrower!"

Although Blaziken were known for having powerful legs and being able to jump incredible heights, the wave was simply too big for the Blaze Pokemon to jump over and got hit by the crashing water. The result was Blaziken lying on his back fainted on the ground.

"Blaziken is unable to battle, Walrein wins, which means Dominique is the winner and will be moving on to the final four!" The referee announced.

"**What an incredible performance by Dominique! She's a very powerful trainer!" **

XXX

Meanwhile in the VIP section, the champions were making notes and doing research on everything on this woman. And they were doing the same thing with Paul. They wanted to know where and how they got these incredibly strong Pokemon.

"Did you find anything yet Cynthia?" The Dragon Master asked the Sinnoh Champion, who was sitting in the front row of the private area.

"Nothing on how Paul got these powerful Pokemon." She responded calmly. "How about you guys; you find out anything on this Dominique girl?"

"No." Steven replied with no emotion in his voice. "The worst part is we have no leads."

"This is going to be one long tournament." She said out loud to everyone. "Hopefully someone will be able to defeat them."

XXX

"**The last battle of the Elite eight will be Brock Harrison of Pewter City and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" **

Ash was waiting for his cue to go onto the battlefield. He always had the pre battle jitters, but this was different. It was against Brock. It was the same feeling he had when he had to face Ritchie his first time in the Indigo Plateau. He closed his eyes and mentally debated if he wanted to do this. He wanted to win a league for the first time in his battling career. And no matter what happens, he and Brock will always be best friends. So he quickly got over the fact that it was Brock and used his desire and battling spirit to help him face Brock on the battlefield.

Before Brock and Ash began their battle, Brock had to get something off his chest. "Ash, no matter what happens, we'll still be friends. I mean, it's only a battle right?"

After letting Brock finished, Ash began to smile. He felt a million times better after hearing that Brock and he would still be friends even if he lost. "Yeah; you better give me your all!"

After the referee explained the rules, he waved his flags indicating the beginning of the battle. Brock had to select first, so he pulled out his first pokeball and threw it onto the field, revealing his Toxicroak.

Ash had the perfect counter for it. "Go Espeon!" The psychic Eeveelution came out of its pokeball and was ready for battle.

"Toxicroak, use toxic spikes on the battlefield." Brock ordered. The poison/fighting frog shot out the venomous attacks from his mouth into the air, going to land on the field very shortly.

Ash had to deal with toxic spikes before with his battle with Paul and didn't want to deal with them again. "Espeon, use psychic to destroy the spikes!" On command, the Sun Pokemon focused onto the spikes and in one powerful shot, destroyed each of the spikes above before they even had a chance to reach the ground.

"Not bad Ash," Brock complimented his best friend. "Toxicroak, use poison sting!" The humanoid poison dart frog began to shoot poisonous needles at its opponent.

"Use agility!" Heeding the command, Espeon used its great speed to dodge the Toxic Mouth Pokemon's attack, getting closer and closer. "Now use psychic!"

Espeon was now in position to shoot a very powerful psychic at point blank range from the red gem from its forehead. The effects of the attack were terrible for Toxicroak because after taking damage from the attack, it lied on the ground unconscious.

"Toxicroak is unable to battle, Espeon is the winner!"

"**After some impressive off the top strategies and a powerful attack, Ash and Espeon quickly won the first battle! Who will Brock send out next?"**

XXX

On the sidelines, Misty and the rest of the gang were watching the battle up close and confused. Not because of what was going on the battlefield, but confused on who to cheer for. Both of the competitors were two of their best friends. But for Misty, she had to root for Ash all the way, no matter who he faced.

"Hey Misty," May chirped up, snapping the red head out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." Misty replied to Ash's Hoenn and battle frontier traveling partner.

"Hey guys, how come Ash and Espeon won so easily?" Dawn asked curiously, sitting to the left of Misty.

"Well, Toxicroak is a poison and fighting type, both of which are weak to psychic," Gary piped up and began to explain, who was sitting next to May and Ritchie. "And after being hit by psychic at such a close range, there wasn't much that Brock or Toxicroak could do."

"Wow," Dawn marveled at to her, Gary's infinite knowledge. "Thanks for the explanation Gary."

"Not a problem Dawn," Gary replied cockily. "If you ever have a question about Pokemon, I'm the guy to ask, instead of Ashy boy."

Misty and May both being smart, quickly figured out that Dawn had a crush on the Pokemon researcher. But since he began to tease Ash, Misty had to defend him.

"If Ash is so dumb, how was he able to beat you in the Silver Conference?" Misty asked the cocky Pokemon researcher.

"He got lucky." Gary quickly retorted.

"Sure Gary." May said, joining in the teasing.

"But in all seriousness, Ash may not be the smartest person ever, but when it comes to battles and off the top strategies, he's a genius." Misty defended her boyfriend. "And that he finally decided to do research on his opponents before battles, he comes up with some strategies beforehand, making him even an even battler than you could ever be Gary."

Gary was completely speechless and dumbfounded after Misty's explanation. He knew that Ash was a great trainer. He even remembered what he told him that night after the battle. But after that explanation, he knew that she was right. Ash was only getting better and better.

XXX

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Brock sent out his Crobat to battle Ash's Espeon. It had been a long battle between the two, with it ending in a draw. Crobat got Espeon poisoned right away in the beginning of the battle. After dodging numerous attacks, the purple bat was able to hit the light purple cat like Pokemon with a sludge bomb and at the same time, Espeon hit Crobat with a shadow ball, knocking them both out instantly.

"Let's go Steelix!" The Iron Snake Pokemon came out and slithered on its side of the battlefield, patiently waiting for its opponent to come out.

Ash knew that Steelix would be a tough opponent considering that Brock's had it ever since it was an Onix for his gym leader duties. But he knew that the Pokemon he was about to use could get the job done for him. "Let's go Typhlosion!"

"Use sandstorm!" Brock didn't want to give his best friend the first move. There was a giant sandstorm that no one could see through.

Ash being the off the top strategist that he was, wanted to try something that was very risky. "Typhlosion, use flare blitz directly into the sandstorm!"

Everyone in the stadium gasped at what the Pallet Town trainer ordered. Rich had to comment on it.

Most of the time, Ash's risky strategies worked like a charm, but not this time. Sure it cleared the sandstorm, but it didn't hit Steelix at all as it disappeared into the ground. And with Typhlosion taking recoil damage, knowing that Steelix will come back up, Ash needed to think of something again quickly. "Use earthquake!"

"Get up and attack now!" Brock quickly ordered, as he didn't want his loyal Pokemon to be hit by the super effective attack. Luckily for Brock, the Iron Snake got out in time and hit his opponent with the ground attack of his own, sending the Volcano Pokemon flying. Once it hit the ground, it was struggling to get up, which meant Brock had to finish the battle now.

"Finish this with stone edge!"

"Typhlosion, use flamethrower counter shield!"

Still on its back, the bulky badger like Pokemon began to spin and shoot out a stream of fire, which ended up surrounding it and defending itself from the sharp stones that were heading its way.

"_Typical Ash type of move," _Brock thought a bit angrily. _"I should've seen that one coming." _

His thoughts were interrupted when Ash made a command. "Use fire blast!" The Volcano Pokemon unleashed the stream of fire from its mouth and formed the Chinese symbol and hit Steelix directly with the super effective attack, which caused the Iron Snake to fall onto the ground, but still had the will to fight.

"Let's go Steelix, use dragonbreath!" His loyal Pokemon heeded the order and unleashed a green stream of energy directly at the already weakened Typhlosion. After being hit by the attack, the Volcano Pokemon fell onto its knees and ended up flat on its face with swirls in its eyes, indicating that it fainted.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle, Steelix is the winner!"

Ash returned the fainted Johto fire starter into his pokeball. He then picked up the next pokeball and looked at it. He hadn't used this Pokemon in a very long time, and he knew that he could get the job done.

"I choose you, Primeape!" The Pig Monkey Pokemon came out of its red and white spherical home and ready to fight. The fighting type was so excited to battle that it began to shadow box right in front of his opponent. Steelix just glared at his opponent and growled its name.

Once the battle began, Brock didn't want Ash to get a hit on his very weak Pokemon, so he wanted to strike first. "Use dragonbreath!"

"Primeape, dodge and then use mach punch!" The fighting Pokemon quickly dodged the dragon type move, sprinted towards the Iron Snake, and launched itself towards it with all its momentum and landed a direct mach punch. After the attack, Steelix dropped straight to the ground and fainted.

"Steelix is unable to battle, Primeape wins!"

"**And with one punch, Steelix is out! Who will Brock send out next?"**

"Let's go Ludicolo!" The Carefree Pokemon came out and began to dance, which got a good laugh out of everyone in the crowd. Even Ash chuckled at the sight of the pineapple and duck Pokemon dancing.

Ash's face expression turned back and wanted to get the battle over with. "Use another mach punch!" Once again, Primeape leapt forward with his right boxing glove fist to punch Ludicolo in the face.

"Dodge and then use hydro pump!" Ludicolo literally waltzed his way out of the attack and unleashed a barrage of water from his mouth, hitting at the Pig Monkey in midair, sending it directly into the stadium wall. Luckily for Ash, the speedy fighting type was able to get up.

"Alright Primeape, use aerial ace!"

"Stop it with bullet seed!"

Once again, the speedy fighting type sprinted towards the grass/water type Carefree Pokemon hoping to actually get a hit. While sprinting though, it had to dodge a series of seeds from its opponent. Luckily for Ash, Primeape's speed proved beneficial as it was able to dodge each series of seeds launched at it and land the super effective flying type move.

Ludicolo was fazed after taking the hit. Ash wanted to finish this battle. "Use close combat!"

The Pig Monkey Pokemon began to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks at the large, grass/water type. Unable to dodge, he took the attack head on. After the attack, Ludicolo simply fell on its back and fainted. "Ludicolo is unable to battle, Primeape wins!"

Brock returned the fainted Pokemon back into his pokeball and thanked it for its hard work. He pulled out the next one and released it onto the field. "Go Ampharos!"

"Primeape, get in close and use low kick!" Ash ordered. Primeape acknowledged the order and again began to sprint towards the light Pokemon. When Primeape was close enough, he swung his leg as hard as it could at the tall, yellow electric type. Brock had to counter it and fast.

"Jump and use thunderbolt!" Ampharos obliged and was barely able to jump over the opponent's leg. The Light Pokemon began to charge up and unleashed a powerful thunderbolt attack right at the Pig Monkey. The result of the attack was Primeape sitting on its knees and panting.

"Come on Primeape, get up! I know you can!" The Pallet Town trainer encouraged his Pokemon. He really tried to get up, but due to the fatigue in being three battles, it fell on its face and fainted.

"Primeape is unable to battle, Ampharos wins!"

Ash returned the fainted fighting type, praising it for its hard work. He reached for his fourth pokeball and threw it onto the field and came out the Johto grass type starter, Meganium. The green, dinosaur like Pokemon took her battle stance, getting ready to face her opponent.

"Ampharos, use thunderbolt!" Once again, the Light Pokemon charged up and unleashed the powerful electric type attack.

Ash knew exactly how to counter the attack. "Use light screen!" With the order, the Herb Pokemon created a light barrier, protecting itself from the electric attack. Although it didn't totally protect her, she didn't take as much damage as she would have if she didn't put it up.

"Get in there and use brick break!"

The Pallet Town trainer didn't want to hear those words. He had to think of something fast and he did. "Don't let it by using razor leaf!" Obeying the order, she unleashed a barrage of razor sharp leaves right at her opponent from her floral neck. Ampharos had no way to dodge and took the damage head on. "Now use sunny day and solar beam combination!"

Brock could not let that happen to Ampharos. He had to think of something. "Use dig!"

As he heard the order, Meganium unleashed the solar beam attack. But luckily for Brock, he dodged the powerful grass attack. But what he didn't know was that that's what Ash wanted. "Now use earthquake!"

"Oh no! Get out!" Brock quickly ordered, but it was too late. Once the Herb Pokemon stomped her front legs on the ground, Brock knew it was over. Ampharos came flying up from underground and landed on the ground hard, causing Ash to cringe.

"Ampharos is unable to battle, Meganium wins!"

"Sorry about that Brock!" Ash shouted across the battlefield, apologizing to his best friend.

The Pewter City former gym leader, now doctor smiled and replied. "It's okay Ash, I can take care of him no problem."

Brock knew he was going to lose since his last Pokemon was his Swampert, which was very weak to the grass type Meganium. Either way, Brock released the water/ground Hoenn starter from his pokeball. Brock was never one to give up so easily, so he was going to give it his all. "Swampert, use ice beam!"

"Meganium, use vine whip to jump!" She let the beam of ice get closer and when it got close enough, she pulled out two vines from her floral neck and smashed them onto the ground, causing her to jump a great distance in the air.

On the sideline, Gary couldn't help but snicker. Dawn and May were confused so they spoke up. "What's so funny?" The blue haired coordinator asked the researcher.

"Ash used the same strategy against me in our battle." He simply replied.

"Now use razor leaf!" Once again, the Herb Pokemon released sharp leaves at the Hoenn starter.

Brock had only one move he could use. "Protect!" Once the Mud Fish Pokemon heard the order, it created a green shield, protecting itself from the super effective attack.

Ash simply grinned, knowing that Brock fell into his trap once again. "Use body slam!" Meganium used all of her momentum to hit her opponent, which was no longer protected by the green shield and landed on him. "Now use vine whip!"

Now there was nothing Brock could do except sit there and watch his Pokemon get hit by the super effective attack. Once it was finished, the Mud Fish Pokemon had no energy left to battle.

"Swampert is no longer able to battle, Meganium wins! Which means Ash is moving on the final four!" The referee announced.

After Ash and Brock returned their Pokemon, the two best friends shook hands and Brock wished Ash luck.

XXX

That's chapter 34! Sorry for the late update, but once again, work was the problem. I hope it was good enough. Next chapter is the final four! Will it be an easy ride for Ash, or will there be problems for him to overcome in the biggest tournament of his life? Stay tuned to find out! Rates and reviews are appreciated!

P.S.- Mr. M. Mars updated on my favorite story, The Master's Journey! That chapter is a must read! If you've been following it like I have, then you'll love it!


	36. Chapter 35- The Final Four Part 1!

I'm trying to get these chapters out to you guys as soon as possible, but I don't want to rush them all, otherwise they wouldn't be up to par as I would like. Also, for those of you, who reviewed, thank you. You also gave me some ideas on who to use within these last few battles. I'll either be doing both battles in this chapter, or separate them into two parts. So it maybe a little longer than usual if I decide to combine them. So without further ado, here's chapter 35!

Chapter 35- The Final Four Part 1!

"**And now ladies and gentleman, here are the matches for the final four!" **Rich announced to everyone in the stadium.

Everyone in the stadium was watching the big screen as the pictures of the trainers began to shuffle around. The tension was rising, especially for Ash. He, Misty, Paul, and Domino were all on the battlefield watching the screen with everyone else in the stadium.

"_Who am I going to face?" _Ash thought nervously. _"I don't wanna face Misty at all. I know Paul's tough, but I don't know what kind of Pokemon he's got and that goes same with Dominique; she's incredibly powerful." _

As the pictures began to slow down, it went to a complete stop, revealing the final two battles.

"**And the two battles are Dominique vs. Ash and Paul vs. Misty! Tomorrow will be an off day, so the stadium can be rebuilt." **Rich announced, excited about the battles.

Ash and Misty, who were standing right next to each other, turned to their left and saw the other two trainers. There was a moment of silence, but then Dominique spoke. "Well, good luck to you Ash! Let's have a great battle!"

Ash gave her a small grin and replied, "Thanks; good luck to you too."

Paul just glared at the couple before angrily speaking to them. "You're little girlfriend's going down first and then I'm after you!"

"I don't think so you jerk!" Misty yelled back at him while being held back by her boyfriend.

He just shrugged it off and walked away. That left both Ash and Misty really infuriated with the Veilstone City trainer. But they couldn't do anything about him so they just walked back to their friends. Obviously, they all had questions.

"What's Paul's problem?" Dawn was the first to ask. "I know he's a jerk, but he never acted like this before."

"I can't tell you honestly." Ash answered her right away. "It's like he has some personal reason that he hates me and Misty."

"Well, I say we just enjoy the rest of the night tonight and then we can help you both with picking your Pokemon tomorrow." Brock suggested, trying to change the mood of seemingly tense atmosphere.

"I agree with Brock!" May squealed happily. "Let's go out to eat!"

"Okay female Ash!" Misty joked, causing everyone in the group to laugh, even Ash.

After that, the group of trainers and coordinators all went out to get something to eat, enjoying each other's company.

XXX

Paul and Domino were back in their cabin talking through video to Giovanni to receive their orders on what to do next for the tournament. It was the most secretive cabin in all of the

"Paul, I want you to use these Pokemon. Especially this last one, but only if she brings down you're first five Pokemon." The Team Rocket Boss explained explicitly to the Sinnoh native.

"Yes sir." Paul simply replied, holding an evil smile, wondering the possibilities of what the Pokemon could be.

"You may be dismissed. I need to talk to Domino alone." Giovanni ordered.

"Yes sir. I'll go out for a walk." Paul responded while gathering the pokeballs he would use against his opponent tomorrow and left the room.

After he left, Domino went to make sure that he did left and to make sure that no one else was spying on them. "The proximity is clear sir."

"Excellent," Giovanni began. "There's something very important you must do if you lose to him."

XXX

After a great night out with friends, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu were all up making last minute preparations along with Dawn, May, and Max, who all showed up, joining them on their walk towards the stadium.

"So Ash, you're the first battle." Max reminded the Pallet Town trainer. "Are you ready?"

"Of course I'm ready!" Ash exclaimed, confident that he would win.

"Be careful Ash." Misty warned. "You really don't know anything about Dominique. I mean she's nice and everything, but there's something strange about her."

"What do you mean 'strange'?" May asked.

"Well," She hesitantly began, trying to figure out what she wanted to say. "She doesn't seem who she say's to be."

"I agree." Dawn chimed in. "There's something weird about her."

After another five minutes of walking, they made it to the stadium. Once they made it, there was someone familiar greeting them.

"Hey Mr. Goodshow!" The group exclaimed, happy to see the elderly man.

"Hello everyone!" He happily greeted the young trainers. "I'm sorry, but Ash and Misty need to head to the trainer's waiting room right away."

"Don't worry, we understand." Brock answered for the group. "Good luck to the both of you."

"Yeah, good luck!"

"I wanna see you both in the final battle!"

The couple thanked their friends and then followed Mr. Goodshow to the waiting room. He opened the door and revealed a medium sized room with two leather couches, a couple of flat screens, a bar, a mini fridge, and a table filled with appetizers. Also in the room were their opponents for the day: Paul and Dominique.

"Hey guys!" The undercover Rocket agent happily greeted the two trainers, walking up to them and shaking hands. Meanwhile, Paul just stayed at his spot on the couch, giving them both his usual scowl.

"Hey their Dominique. Good luck in our match today." Ash happily told her.

"And speaking of your match," The old man interrupted them. "You and Dominique are up right now."

"Do I have to stay in here to watch the battle?" Misty asked before they all left.

"Of course not! You can sit in the stands with your friends or you can stay on Ash's sideline." The head of the P.L.A laughed out, chuckling at the end.

"_Thank you." _The red headed gym leader thought. She couldn't stand to be in the room alone with Paul. She thought that he would try to intimidate her and would probably end up getting in trouble for killing Paul.

She began to walk with the group and to everyone's surprise, Paul decided to join them. But he kept his distance from everyone else. They continued to walk until there were two different hallways leading to two different locker rooms.

"Well, I'll be outside introducing you two." President Goodshow said to Ash and Dominique. "Don't worry, you'll each have five minutes before you get out. Good luck to the both of you and do your best!"

"Thank you." The whole group replied.

As soon as he left, each of them said their final words to each other. Ash and Misty walked towards the right and entered their locker room as Dominique and Paul walked to the left and entered the other locker room. Ash began to walk around, pacing in the locker room nervously. Sure he had made it to the final four before, but this time he knew he had a chance to actually win and make it to the championship round.

"Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked with much concern in her voice.

"Yeah," He answered right away, looking at her with sweat on his face. "Just a little nervous is all."

"You're more than a little nervous." She joked. "You gotta calm down. Brock believes in you, May and Max believe in you, Dawn believes in you, and I believe in you. You have to believe in yourself."

He heard her inspirational speech loud and clear. He knew that she was right. He knew that he had so many people believing in him. She didn't even mention his mother or Professor Oak. "You're right Mist." He grabbed her and passionately kissed her. Unfortunately, it was interrupted by Mr. Goodshow's announcement.

"Now for the first half of our final four, we have Ash and Dominique!"

"Let's go Mist." He said, changing his tone back to more serious. With that, they both walked to the stadium.

XXX

"I suggest you win this battle to make it easier for the both of us." Paul spat at the undercover Rocket.

"I suggest you watch your tone with me." Domino spat back with twice the ferocity. "You're lucky I haven't killed you yet."

Although she said those words, Paul wasn't intimidated at all. He was confident enough that she wouldn't touch him.

"Whatever." He replied with no emotion in his voice.

"Now for the first half of our final four, we have Ash and Dominique!"

With the announcement, she left him alone in the locker room and walked onto the battlefield.

XXX

Both trainers were standing in their respective trainers boxes. The battlefield was a rocky terrain with some mountainous rocks on the field.

Misty was sitting on Ash's trainer bench, looking at him. He seemed very confident, but she could tell that he was still nervous. Brock and the rest of the gang began to cheer for him on the field.

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the first of two final four matches! This will be a full six on six battle. Trainers may switch Pokemon whenever they want. The winner will be decided once all six Pokemon are defeated. Are the rules clear?" The referee explained.

"Yup!" Ash exclaimed.

"You know I am!" She exclaimed with the same enthusiasm.

"Then let the battle begin!" He exclaimed as he waved up the two flags, indicating the start of the battle.

"Let's go Alakazam!" The human psychic type took a battle position, similar to a boxer's pose while holding his spoons tightly.

Ash studied the psychic type on the field and luckily for him, he had a dark type Pokemon in his party. "I choose you, Scrafty!" Ash exclaimed as he released the Hoodlum Pokemon from his poke ball. He took a similar stance as his opponent.

"_Huh. He's a lot smarter than I figured." _Domino thought. _"Whatever, I'll still beat him."_ "Now use focus punch!"

"Dodge them Scrafty!" The Psi Pokemon began to throw his giant fists at the small dark/fighting type, but luckily for Ash, Scrafty was quick enough to dodge them. He knew that he needed to go on the attack and fast. "Now use dark pulse!"

The orange Hoodlum Pokemon charged and unleashed a spiral of dark energy right at his opponent and hit his opponent right in his chest, causing him to fall on his back and the undercover Rocket agent to get agitated.

"Come on Alakazam, get up!" She encouraged her Pokemon. Listening, he slowly got up onto his feet after getting hit by the super effective attack. "Great, now use light screen!" The Psi Pokemon focused his two spoons to create a light, almost invisible shield.

This was what Ash wanted. Trying to hide a very obvious grin, he gave his Pokemon the next command. "Now use brick break!" The Hoodlum Pokemon's hand began to glow as he jumped towards his opponent. His hand made contact with the Psi Pokemon's shield and destroyed it and also hitting his opponent and made him stumble back.

Now was the time for Ash to finish the battle. "Hit him with crunch!" Still in range, Scrafty jumped towards his opponent and bit him on the left arm.

"Come on Alakazam, you gotta fight back!" The undercover Rocket agent yelled at the weakened Pokemon. At this point, she was frustrated with the Pokemon and basically gave up the battle.

"Finish this with headbutt!" Ash commanded.

The Hoodlum Pokemon again jumped towards the dazed Psi Pokemon but this time head first and smashed his head against his, which caused Alakazam to fall over and faint.

"Alakazam is unable to battle, Scrafty wins!"

"**And with that, Ash wins the first battle! A rarity for whoever faces Dominique! Who will she use now?!" **

She gave a happy look at her opponent, trying to hide the frustration and anger she was really holding. She had to put her emotions aside and release her next Pokemon. "Let's go Braviary!" The eagle like Pokemon shot up into the air and hissed his own name, and waiting for her command, which she gave right away.

"Let's finish this battle right away with brave bird!" The Valiant Pokemon shot at the Hoodlum Pokemon covered in a red aura of powerful energy and shot at Scrafty like a missile. Braviary then expanded its wings and then the energy turned blue and ran into Scrafty, causing a huge explosion. Braviary flew out, recovering from recoil damage while the smoke cleared. The result was Scrafty lying on the ground fainted.

"Scrafty is unable to battle, Braviary wins!"

Ash returned the fainted dark/fighting type into its red and white spherical home and praised it for its efforts. He then grabbed the next pokeball and tossed it onto the field, releasing Feraligatr.

The Big Jaw Pokemon came out and shouted its name, ready for battle. Ash wanted to end this battle right away and didn't hesitate to call out his first order. "Use ice beam!"

"Dodge it by using agility!" As Feraligatr shot beams of ice at his opponent, Braviary was able to easily dodge them, making Ash a bit angry, making Domino very happy. Then Ash thought of an idea of how to slow it down.

"Aim your ice beam at the tip of its wings!" He ordered.

The blue crocodilian shot a beam of ice a little to the right of where the eagle was flying. Domino just looked at her opponent with confusion on her face.

She didn't notice, but Braviary was starting to lose speed. Then eventually the tip of the right wing of Braviary was covered in ice. That was the point where it began to lose altitude and the opportunity for Ash to finish this battle. "Use an ice brick break!"

"What?!"

"What?!"

"What did he just say?!"

The Big Jaw Pokemon using his incredible leg strength and jumped up as high to where Braviary was flying with his hand glowing and covered in ice and chopped down onto the head of the Valiant Pokemon, causing him to crash into the ground. The result was to Ash's liking and Domino's dislike.

"Braviary is unable to battle, Feraligatr wins!"

"**With a bit of luck, strategy, and an improvised move, Ash and Feraligatr win this round, causing Dominique to fall behind once again!"**

"_I wish that stupid announcer would shut up." _Domino thought angrily. She would usually remain cool and collected on an important task like this. She knew that Ash was a great trainer, but not this great.

Paul was smirking because he could tell that she was getting frustrated. He knew that Ash could come up with the craziest strategies off the top of his head. And now that he has fully evolved Pokemon, he was even more dangerous. Maybe Giovanni was right: maybe he couldn't defeat Ash now.

Domino just threw a random pokeball out there without thinking of what it was and with her luck, it was a Haxorus.

"Alright Haxorus, start this battle off with a hyper beam!"

As soon as Ash heard her command, he knew that Feraligatr would lose the battle if he got hit. "You gotta dodge it!"

The Axe Jaw Pokemon charged up the powerful attack in his mouth and unleashed a beam of raw energy right at its opponent. Luckily for Ash, the Big Jaw Pokemon jumped to the side of the attack, but it almost hit Ash. Luckily he was fine though, but the league official turned towards Dominique and had to give her a warning. "Watch where you're attacking, if you do that again, you'll be disqualified."

"Fine." She muttered.

"Use ice beam!" Ash ordered his Pokemon.

"Block it!"

As Feraligatr shot a powerful beam of ice at the dragon type, Haxorus crossed her arms to block the attack. The attack hit and her arms were frozen, but because she was very strong, the dark green dragon brock through the ice, making Ash a bit frustrated. He remembered seeing this after witnessing Iris and Drayden battle.

"Time to finish this battle with giga impact!" She ordered.

"Feraligatr, use ice aqua jet!" He smirked as he commanded.

The Dragon type mustered up his energy and launched towards her opponent engulfed by a purple shield of energy with orange streaks. The water type launched himself while engulfing himself by water. Then he shot an ice beam inside the shield of water now turning into ice, creating an ice missile. The two attacks collided in the middle of the battlefield, causing an explosion with chunks of ice flying all over the field with a thick layer of dust covering the field.

The result was both Pokemon lying on the ground, trying to get up. They both struggled to get to their knees, but as soon as they did, they both fell on their stomachs, fainted on the ground. The referee went to check on the conditions of both Pokemon and it was clear that they weren't getting up.

"Both Feraligatr and Haxorus are both unable to battle, this match is a draw." The referee announced as he waved both flags in the air.

Both trainers returned their Pokemon. Ash praised his Pokemon for his hard work, while Domino cursed it under her breath to make sure no one heard it. They both chose their next Pokemon.

"Hariyama, I choose you!" The bulky, round fighting type came out of its pokeball and got into a sumo wrestling stance, getting itself ready for battle.

The Pallet Town trainer looked down at his third Pokemon's pokeball. He rarely used this Pokemon, but he could always count on it whenever needed. "I choose you, Muk!"

"Muk?" Misty questioned.

"He has a Muk?" Both Rocket trainers asked out loud.

"Ew gross! Why would he use that thing?!" May and Dawn exclaimed in disgust.

The pile of purple sludge was happy to see the battlefield for the first time this tournament. Standing across was his opponent, eager to get this battle finished, the same with his trainer, who was starting to show anger. Without any warning, she gave her command right after the referee announced the start of the match. "Let's finish this quick, use giga impact!"

The Arm Thrust Pokemon launched himself, being surrounded by a purple aura with orange streaks right at the Sludge Pokemon. As Hariyama was inching closer and closer, neither Ash nor Muk were intimidated.

"_Perfect."_ Ash thought. She did exactly what he wanted her to do. "You know what to do Muk!"

The fighting type crashed into the poisonous pile of sludge. The collision was so powerful that it could take out Snorlax, which caused a mini explosion on the field. Once the smoke cleared, the result was what nobody expected: both standing on the field, seemingly perfectly fine.

While everyone in the stand was confused on what happened, Domino figured it out right away. "Acid armor huh, very clever Ketchum."

"Thanks." He replied.

"But that won't get you the win. Use arm thrust to break that armor." With his very large hands, he began to thrust away at the seemingly invisible shield. He cracked it with his left hand and then finally broke it with his right hand, which caused the purple sludge to cringe in pain.

Domino was beginning to feel pleased with what was going on, but she had to end it now. "Brick break!"

When Hariyama raised his left arm for the finishing blow, he quickly pulled it back and cringed in pain, starting to lose his breath, and holding his sides. With Domino being a smart trainer, she knew that her Pokemon had just been poisoned.

Now was the time for Ash to finish this battle. "Use sludge bomb!" The pile of sludge opened his mouth and shot out a ton of bombs at the bulky fighting type in the face. He stumbled backwards and fell on his back. He struggled to get back up, but his attempt failed.

"Hariyama is unable to battle, Muk wins!"

"**After being poisoned and being hit by a direct sludge bomb, Muk defeats Hariyama!" **

"Alright, great job Muk!" The Pallet Town trainer exclaimed towards the affectionate poison type. He happily replied by saying his name.

She angrily returned the fainted fighting type. She had been holding in her frustration this entire battle and now it was beginning to visibly show, especially in her eyes, as they began to turn darker and darker, like the day changing into night time.

"Let's go Luxray!" The undercover Rocket agent shouted as the Gleam Eyes Pokemon came out of his pokeball. This Luxray was different than most. Instead of its skin being blue, it was gold.

"**Wow, and this Luxray's shiny!" **

"Alright Luxray, let's end this quickly. Use thunderbolt!" The gold and black lion charged up and unleashed a powerful jolt of electricity at his opponent. Muk couldn't do anything except take the full force of the electric attack. After he was finished, the pile of sludge lied on the ground fainted and unable to move.

"Muk is unable to battle, Luxray wins!"

"**And that was a quick battle! Ash has two Pokemon left, who will he use next?!" **

Ash pulled out his next pokeball and tossed it on the field, revealing a Tauros. The Wild Bull Pokemon began to prepare for battle by slamming his hoofs into the ground, staring down his opponent.

After the referee waved his flags to begin the battle, both trainers didn't waste any time in beginning the battle.

"Luxray use thunderbolt!"

"Tauros use hyper beam!"

After both Pokemon charged up, they unleashed their respective attacks, Luxray with his stream of powerful electricity and Tauros with his beam of raw energy. The two powerful attacks collided in the middle of the battlefield and caused a huge explosion. The result of the two attacks was a draw.

"_Since you can't move right away after hyper beam, now's my time to strike."_ Domino thought happily, finally having some momentum on her side. "Use another thunderbolt!"

Ash knew that he couldn't move right away, but he did have a strategy for it. "Use double team!"

As the attack was reaching closer and closer, the attack hit the wild bull, or what seemed to be. It was revealed that it was only a carbon copy of the original, so now that there were only three left.

Domino should have seen this coming. But she couldn't back down. "Use iron-". She was interrupted by Ash's order. "Earthquake!"

The Wild Bull Pokemon raised its two legs and stomped onto the ground as hard as it possibly could and made the earth shake, causing great damage to the electric type. The Gleam Eyes Pokemon was struggling to stay up after taking all the damage. Now was the time that Ash finished it. "Use giga impact!"

"Dodge it!" Domino called.

Tauros began to rush towards his tired and beaten opponent being surrounded by a purple shield with orange streaks. Luxray couldn't do anything and was forced to take the hit head on, causing him to fly back and hit the wall of the arena. The result of the hit was obvious.

"Luxray is unable to battle, Tauros wins!"

"**And now Dominique is down to her last Pokemon! What will it be?"**

"You're a great trainer Ash, but you're not going to win." Domino told Ash hastily. "Let's go Metagross!"

Ash was confused by her sudden change of attitude and so were friends.

"I knew something was up with her." May said, as she could hear her on the battlefield.

Misty analyzed Dominique based off on what she just said and the way she sounded. _"She sounds so familiar. Where did I meet her?" _Her thoughts got distracted as she heard a big thud hit the ground, which was Tauros being defeated by Metagross.

She was now worried about Ash as he looked like he lost a bit of confidence. Even though he'd been dominating most of the battle, this last stretch was starting to be mentally tough for the black haired trainer.

"I trust my Pokemon. I choose you, Typhlosion!"

The Volcano Pokemon was ecstatic to take the battlefield, considering that he lost the last time he battled. He was determined to win this time around. So the fire type took a battle stance as fire unleashed from his neck, indicating that it was ready to battle.

"Let's start this off with an earthquake!" Domino ordered. The Iron Leg Pokemon stomped his front right leg onto the ground, causing the already damaged battlefield to shake tremendously.

"Jump and use flare blitz!" Ash commanded. He took a little bit of damage from the earthquake, but obliged and jumped as his body began to heat up. Then the flames turned blue and then shot at Metagross like a missile. Once they collided, the steel type began to feel the burn of the attack.

After he finished the attack, Typhlosion jumped back and took some recoil damage. He stared down Metagross, who had some burns but other than that, looked like he didn't take any damage at all, which surprised everyone in the stadium.

"**Unbelievable! Metagross just took on a very powerful flare blitz and looked like it didn't take any damage at all!" **

"_But how is that possible?!" _He thought.

"You got lucky to get that first hit. And it's the only one you'll get on it." She replied. She also knew that he was wondering, so he answered him. "I've trained my Metagross in hot volcanos, so he's really resistant to fire attacks."

He couldn't think of anything else but attack. "Alright let's go Typhlosion, use flamethrower!"

"You must be more ignorant than I thought." She replied to his order. "Metagross use psychic!"

As the powerful stream of fire was approaching the steel/psychic type, it used its psychic powers to control the fire and just tossed it to the side, which surprised everyone.

"Like I said, my Metagross's very powerful. Now use meteor mash!" The Iron Leg Pokemon jumped incredibly high towards the fire type and smashed it in its chest and sent it flying back to hit the wall, causing great concern.

"Come on Typhlosion! I know you can get up!" Ash encouraged his Pokemon.

The fire badger slowly rose back to his feet and relit his collar and giving a loud roar. Ash now had a strategy that he could attempt against the powerful Metagross. "Awesome Typhlosion! Now use fire spin!"

Before the Volcano Pokemon released the attack, he was engulfed by a powerful red energy, activating its special ability blaze. After getting an extra boost, the fire spin looked more like a fire tornado as it engulfed the steel type.

"Come on Metagross! Hyper beam!" The Iron Leg Pokemon was still strong enough to charge up and unleash a beam of raw energy through its fire trap.

"_Perfect." _He thought, smiling as he knew he was confident enough to win now. "Use dig to dodge!"

As ordered, Typhlosion dodged the beam by digging underground.

Domino growled in frustration, as she knew now that she was in a bad spot. Metagross couldn't move due to the after effects of hyper beam.

Now was the time for Ash to win the battle. "Now shoot up and use flare blitz!"

Just like a missile, it shot up and hit the Iron Leg Pokemon from underneath, while engulfing itself in a blue fire. The two attacks combined and caused an explosion, causing a heat wave to travel through the stadium, causing everyone to heat up. After the smoke cleared, Typhlosion ended up on top of its fainted opponent.

"Metagross is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins, which means that Ash Ketchum is moving on to the final round!"

"**And that's all she wrote! Ash defeats Dominique and moves on to the final round! We'll take a one hour break so that the trainers can also witness the other battle!"**

Ash jumped and cheered as he ran towards his very weak Typhlosion, giving it a huge hug. Misty eventually joined the two as she embraced the two of them.

Domino angrily returned the fainted Pokemon and walked towards Paul. "You better win, or else."

"Is that a threat?" He asked hastily.

"It's a promise." She responded angrily.

She walked out of the stadium at a fast pace, not even wanting to acknowledge her opponent. She quickly returned to her secret hideout at the village and called her boss.

"As you saw, I lost." Domino began.

"Yes I know, but that's alright." The Rocket Boss replied calmly. "After Paul wins, I need you to execute the plan we've talked about."

XXX

That's chapter 35! As you can see, I've decided to divide up the final four. It would take too long for me to write both battles in one chapter. Also, I apologize on how long this chapter's taken.

So now Ash has won his final four battle, who will he face, Misty or Paul? And what's Team Rocket's plan? Find out next chapter! Which I will work on right away!


	37. Chapter 36- The Final Four- Part 2!

Like I promised, I'm working on this chapter right away. But I don't know how long it'll take. I'm aiming for a one week deadline, so next Saturday it'll be up. And now on with the story!

Chapter 36- The Final Four Part 2!

After the quick celebration of Ash's victory, he and Misty went to the Pokemon Center to heal up his Pokemon. They still had some time before Misty had to be at the arena for her battle against Paul.

"This is my team against Paul." Misty told Ash, showing him on the computer.

Ash observed her team and thought it was a very good team. "It's a great team."

She held a nervous look on her face. She wanted to tell him what was on her mind, but she was scared on what he thought.

Ash, not as dense as he used to be, noticed that she had something on her mind. "Hey, is there something you're thinking about?"

"_Damn." _She thought. She hesitated to tell him, but she finally did. "I'm not sure if I can beat him."

"Misty, I know you can. You have a lot of people who believe in you. You have me, Brock, May, Dawn, my mom, Professor Oak, Tracey, and so many other people who believe in you." The black haired trainer encouraged the red head.

She began to smile at him, feeling a surge of confidence and comfort in herself. "How is it that you always know what to say? Thank you Ash."

"Anytime Mist." He replied. Then he looked at the clock and started to panic a bit. "We need to get to the stadium before you're disqualified."

"Let's get going." She said, without a hint of doubt in her voice.

Ash grabbed his Pokemon and then jogged out of the Pokemon center and towards the stadium.

XXX

Paul had been standing in his trainer box the entire time waiting for his opponent. He held his infamous scowl, standing straight with his arms crossed. He watched as Ash and Misty entered through the trainer tunnel. Ash took a seat on the same bench that Misty sat on during his battle while Misty entered her battle box.

"Go Misty!"

"You can beat him!"

"Kick his butt!"

The Cerulean City Gym Leader heard all her friends cheer for her and waved towards them. She then turned to Ash and gave him a warm smile and a thumbs up. He returned the same gestures. She finally faced the Veilstone City trainer, ready and filled with confidence to battle.

Domino was sitting in the stands hiding from Paul. This was a part of the plan that Giovanni wanted her to execute. _"He better win for his own sake." _

"We will now begin the second battle of the final four." The referee began. "The same rules apply as before. Now let the battle begin!"

Misty threw her pokeball onto the field, revealing her second baby Pokemon Azumarill.

Paul picked up his first poke ball and tossed it carelessly onto the field and what was revealed was the Fossil Pokemon Aerodactyl. He wasted no time in getting this match over with. "Stone edge, let's go!"

The rock/flying type formed sharp stones around him and began shooting at the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon. She began to panic, but Misty knew what to do.

"Dodge them by using rollout!" Obeying her master's order, she began rolling and gaining momentum, dodging each incoming stone that was being launched. Azumarill kept on rolling, getting closer and closer to Aerodactyl. "Jump now!"

Quickly figuring out what his opponent was trying to do, the undercover Rocket agent countered right after the water type jumped with her tail. "Hit it with aerial ace!" The prehistoric Pokemon was engulfed by white streaks and ran through Azumarill, causing her to crash into the ground.

"Come on Azumarill, I know you can get up!" Misty encouraged her Pokemon.

"Use extreme speed until it can't battle anymore!" Paul ordered.

The rock/flying type flew through its opponent at great speeds, going back to back. Misty had to think of something to get it out of her current situation. "Azumarill use hydro pump directly below you!"

Obeying, she shot a strong barrage of water on the ground right before getting hit for what seemed the umpteenth time. With some luck as well, she also hit the Fossil Pokemon with the super effective move, causing it to screech in pain. Now was Misty's time to finish the battle. "Finish it with iron tail!"

The ball on Azumarill's tail turned to metal as she did a flip in midair. She then landed the tail on Aerodactyl's back, causing it again to screech and then faint.

"Aerodactyl is unable to battle, Azumarill wins!"

"**And Azumarill takes the first win of this battle! Who will Paul use next?"**

XXX

Cynthia, who was sitting with Lance, Steven, and Alder, who had analyzed Paul throughout the entire tournament, still had questions on how he got his Pokemon. Though the other champions didn't agree with her theories, she couldn't shake that feeling off.

"I'm telling you, he didn't catch those Pokemon." She argued with the other champions. "How the hell could he get an Aerodactyl?"

"Cynthia, we've been over this-"Lance began, but was interrupted by the Sinnoh champion.

"I still have my doubts. He either has someone dealing him Pokemon or he joined one of the evil organizations."

"That's preposterous." Steven spoke in a calm matter. "We would've known if he did."

XXX

During the second battle, Misty returned her Azumarill because she saw that the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon was tired after her battle with Aerodactyl and sent out Tentacruel, while Paul sent out Breloom.

"Use mach punch!" The Mushroom Pokemon used his powerful legs to lunge towards the Jellyfish Pokemon and punched it with its short right claw. It was a power struggle between the grass/fighting type and the water/poison type. Misty knew that she had to end it.

"Tentacruel use poison jab!" Its sharp nose turned purple and stabbed it into Breloom's stomach, which caused him to fall back to his side of the battlefield on his back.

"Come on Breloom, get up and use solarbeam!" The Mushroom Pokemon got up and shot a powerful beam of solar energy without even having to charge up for it. Unfortunately for Misty, Tentacruel took the full blunt of the attack. This surprised every single person in the stadium and the people who were watching on TV.

"**How did Breloom use solar beam without charging up?!"**

Not only Rich wanted to know that, but everyone else in the stadium did as well, including Ash and Misty. Paul gave her a sly grin. "I've trained my Breloom to channel solar energy within his body. He can shoot them all day and night without having to charge up."

Ash just stared at Paul. He had thoughts about him rushing in a million miles an hour. He knew he was a jerk, but he didn't change one bit after they faced in Sinnoh. He also knew that he was a powerful trainer, but this was too powerful, even for him.

Misty saw that Tentacruel was almost finished, but she it to do one more thing before being finished. "Tentacruel," Misty called to the Jellyfish Pokemon, causing him to look back to his master. "You need to do one more thing and then you can rest."

Tentacruel nodded, knowing what it was supposed to do, it shot up a purple orb into the air and then it broke up into multiple venomous spikes. Paul knew what she was planning to do because he did the same thing to Ash in their Lily of the Valley Conference battle. "Oh no you don't, use seed bomb to destroy those spikes!"

Misty had Paul right where she wanted him. Misty knew that Paul would try to counter her toxic spikes. She also knew that Breloom would be left wide open for an attack that can stop him from countering. "Use sludge bomb!"

Before the Mushroom Pokemon had a chance to shoot at the toxic spikes, the Jellyfish Pokemon shot a series of poisonous bombs at its adversary. The bombs made direct contact, causing Breloom's first seed bomb to implode on itself and cause a mini explosion. When the dust cleared, Breloom was struggling to stand while all the toxic spikes landed on the battlefield, which caused Paul's second Pokemon to get poisoned and drain the rest of its energy.

"Breloom is unable to battle, Tentacruel wins!"

"**Tentacruel takes out Breloom while on its last leg! And now Paul is down two Pokemon! His next choice is a crucial one!"**

Paul returned the fainted, rental Pokemon while Misty did the same thing with Tentacruel. Paul was starting to get really frustrated with Misty, so he decided to say something about it.

"Why are you returning all your Pokemon after they battle? They'll all lose eventually." Paul barked at the red head.

"Because unlike you, I actually care about my Pokemon." Misty retorted.

He didn't reply verbally. He only pulled out his next pokeball and tossed it onto the field, revealing Magnezone. It was hovering on Paul's side of the field, glaring down at the Cerulean City Gym Leader. Luckily for him, Magnezone wasn't affected by the toxic spikes as his steel attributes made him resistant to poison. Misty had the perfect counter for the electric type.

"I choose you, Quagsire!"

Hearing this infuriated Paul. If his eyes were guns, he would've shot Misty until she died. His frustration was starting to show. He knew that he couldn't use electric attacks on Quagsire because of it being part ground. "You know you're really annoying me. Magnezone use flash cannon!"

The Magnet Area Pokemon charged up and shot a silver beam of energy from its two magnets on its side and hit Quagsire directly in his chest. Paul needed this Pokemon to win and defeat Quagsire; otherwise Paul wouldn't be able to use his secret weapon.

Now it was Misty's turn to retaliate. "Quagsire use mud bomb!"

"Dodge them!" Paul ordered.

The Water Fish Pokemon shot thick covered bombs of mud at the steel/electric opponent. Magnezone was easily able to dodge the first two bombs. The third bomb it barely dodged. The fourth bomb hit the left magnet, blinding the eye on the side and causing it to spin out of control. Quagsire shot one more bomb and hit Magnezone's center eye, causing it to barely hovering above the ground.

Even though the battle began not too long ago, Paul already had his back against the wall. He lost his first two Pokemon and was about to lose his third in a row. He had to do something right away, but his frustrations were preventing him from thinking clearly.

Now was the time for Misty to finish what she thought was Paul's biggest threat. "Now use earthquake!" The light blue amphibian stomped on the ground, which caused the ground to shake violently, and damaged Magnezone, even though it wasn't directly on the ground.

Paul had to think of something and fast, otherwise he was going to lose his third Pokemon fast. "Hover up and use flash cannon!"

After the Magnet Area Pokemon took some damage from the super effective ground attack, it hovered higher in the air and began to charge for its next attack.

"Counter it and use mud shot!" Misty ordered.

By the time Misty made her command, Magnezone shot a silver beam of light at its opponent while Quagsire quickly countered with a powerful stream of mud. The two attacks met in the middle and they kept pushing at each other. It was a power struggle between the two Pokemon and their attacks. Finally, the two attacks caused an explosion that covered the battlefield, leaving everyone to ponder what happened.

Their questions were answered right away after the smoke cleared. Quagsire was still standing comfortably, only taking some damage, while Magnezone was barely hovering on the ground. It eventually fainted because it was exhausted from all the attacks it had taken.

"Magnezone is unable to battle, Quagsire wins!"

"**And that's three in a row for the Cerulean City Gym Leader! Will she continue her luck and sweep Paul or will he find a way to make a comeback?!"**

The crowd was going crazy, especially Ash and all of his friends. Domino was in the stands just in complete shock. She thought that this kid was something great looking at his Pokemon and his resume. Now she thought he was a complete fool and questioned her boss's decision on making this kid the center of the operation.

"_He already lost his first three Pokemon. He's a pathetic trainer. He better hope that his secret weapon can pull one out the hat for him." _She thought as she sat in the arena incognito with her arms and legs crossed.

On the field, Paul began to sweat, his heart was pumping at a thousand miles an hour, teeth grinding, and his fists clenching. He felt the pressure as he was down by a lot. He hadn't felt this bad since his recent battle with Brandon the Pyramid King.

"Drifblim, stand by for battle!" He angrily mumbled as he threw the pokeball.

This time, Misty decided to keep Quagsire out for battle. And also to her benefit, the Blimp Pokemon was affected by the toxic spikes. At this point, the Rocket undercover agent didn't care about the toxic spikes. He just cared about winning the battle and taking out her Quagsire. "Use shadow ball!"

The balloon like Pokemon formed a dark purple ball in front of its yellow x shaped mouth and shot it at Quagsire in its chest, causing it so slide back. Both Pokemon winced in pain after the attack. Quagsire winced because of the damage of the attack and Drifblim winced because of the poison.

"Come on Quagsire, use-"

She was interrupted by the Veilstone City trainer. "Use hypnosis!" The ghost/flying type grabbed the water/ground type using his drape like arms and lulled it to sleep. The Mud Fish Pokemon's eyes were getting heavier as it was trying to fight it, but it eventually gave in and fell asleep. It was Paul's time to finish this battle. "Now finish it with dream eater!" The Blimp Pokemon made a clone of itself and quickly went into Quagsire's mind and ate its dream, gaining some extra health and causing the Mud Fish Pokemon to faint, causing Misty to lose her first Pokemon in the battle.

"Quagsire is unable to battle, the winner is Drifblim!"

"**And Paul finally gets his first victory of the battle! Will it be enough to change the momentum?!"**

Misty was a little shocked on how ruthless Paul was. Sure Ash, Brock, and Dawn told her stories about him, but she somewhat thought that they were over exaggerating in their stories. Now she knew that they were telling the truth.

But she remained calm, knowing she had five Pokemon left, but two were nearly finished. She didn't want to use them yet. So she decided to use her newest evolved Pokemon. "I choose you, Golduck!"

The Duck Pokemon appeared out of its pokeball and crossed his arms and stared its opponent down. He had gained a lot of confidence ever since evolving. And she thought now would be a good time to test out how powerful he's gotten.

"Drifblim use ominous wind!" The balloon like Pokemon's eyes began to glow a light blue and began to unleash a purple wind at the blue duck.

"Counter it with psychic!" The Duck Pokemon raised its arms towards its opponent while the red dot on its head began to glow as well as it eyes while unleashing a powerful blue energy towards its opponent.

To Paul's and everyone else's surprise, the psychic went right through his Pokemon's attack and now Drifblim was caught in the blue aura.

"Now throw it on the ground!" Misty commanded.

Still controlling the adversary, Golduck threw the Blimp Pokemon onto the ground and once again, it was hurting because of the toxic spikes. Though it didn't matter much to Paul because he knew Drifblims had great stamina in battle.

"Use thunderbolt!"

"_Oh no." _ Misty thought quickly. "Counter with ice beam!"

As the ghost/flying type unleashed the powerful electric type move, the water type unleashed the powerful ice type move. Both attacks went right by each other and hit one another. Golduck was hit with thousands of volts of electricity while Drifblim was hit by a powerful stream of ice.

Golduck fell onto his knees and then landed on its stomach while Drifblim slowly deflated towards the ground, both Pokemon fainting in the process. The referee ran over to see if both Pokemon were able to continue, which they weren't. "Both Golduck and Drifblim are both unable to battle, this match is a draw!"

Both trainers returned their Pokemon. Misty praised hers for doing well while Paul cursed it out on doing a bad job. Both of them made their decisions rather quickly for such a big battle.

"Flygon, stand by!"

"I choose you, Kingdra!"

The Mystic Pokemon and the Dragon Pokemon both took the field. Flygon was flying, circling around its opponent while Kingdra followed it with its eyes. Once the referee raised his flags, both trainers ordered attacks right away.

"Use dragon pulse!" Both trainers ordered.

Both Pokemon charged up and unleashed a turquoise ball of energy that collided with each other and then decimated as soon as they made contact.

Paul wasted no time calling out another attack. "Use outrage!"

Flygon's eyes began to glow red and began to rush towards its adversary rampaged and enraged and unleashed a barrage of attacks. Misty couldn't counter in time, so Kingdra was just a sitting Psyduck taking the super effective attack.

After five minutes, Kingdra was still standing, but breathing heavily through its snout. Flygon was now dazed, confused, and now a sitting target for Kingdra and Misty. "Kingdra use dragon pulse until it drops!"

Once again, the Dragon Pokemon charged up and unleashed a barrage of turquoise balls of energy. After hitting its target, Kingdra became more exhausted and Flygon landed on the ground, now on top of being confused, getting hit by the toxic spikes. Both Pokemon were exhausted and both trainers knew that it would take one more move to finish this battle.

"Kingdra use ice beam!"

"Flygon use hyper beam!"

Both Mystic and Dragon Pokemon began to charge up for their respective attacks. Once they unleashed, they collided in the center of the battlefield, with the remains of the attack heading straight for their intended targets. But the explosion made it too hard to see what happened.

After the smoke cleared, Paul was really unpleased with the aftermath of events that just took place.

"Flygon is not able to battle, Kingdra is the winner!"

"**Unbelievable! Somehow Kingdra was able to dodge Flygon's attack! Now Paul has one Pokemon left while Misty still has four of hers!"**

The look on Paul's face was all that Misty and Ash needed to tell that he was surprised on what just happened. He didn't know how to respond right away.

Ash knew that he never had that look on his face. He only saw it once and it was when Paul battled Brandon, who also just overwhelmed him with his tremendous power of Registeel, Regice, and Regirock.

Paul was able to calm down and turned his eyes towards the red head. "How did your Kingdra escape?"

She smirked at him, only making him more irritated. "I used protect."

_The attacks caused an explosion, but the attacks were still launching towards each other. A small beam of ice was heading right towards Flygon. No one knew what happened so Paul couldn't call another attack and let his Pokemon take the hit._

_The remains of raw energy of the hyper beam was heading right towards Kingdra. Even though Misty couldn't see her, she knew she had to do something. "Use protect!"_

_Even though the explosion was very loud, the Dragon Pokemon barely heard her master's voice and used her energy to build up a green shield and protect herself from the attack._

XXX

"Alright Misty!" May exclaimed.

"You only one more to go!" Dawn explained.

"Hold your celebration guys. Paul's been unpredictable this entire tournament. Who knows what his last Pokemon could be." Brock explained.

The two girls glared at him like he was crazy.

"But uh, Misty will still win though!" Brock responded quickly.

XXX

As Domino watched these battles unfold, she was absolutely surprised why the boss still wanted to keep this plan going. She could easily just eliminate Paul and do everything herself. But she was strictly instructed to not touch him.

XXX

After hearing the explanation, Paul was just angry with her. He reached for his last pokeball. He could feel the power of this Pokemon running through his veins. He began to lose his mind and go insane. He didn't care about working for Team Rocket or winning the tournament now. He just wanted to see her squirm and cry. His smile turned crooked as he looked up towards her. "I'll give you credit. You're one hell of a trainer and a gym leader, but not one of your Pokemon will be able to defeat this one in my hand!"

Ash and Misty didn't know what had just happened to Paul. To the both of them, he turned insane. Misty was scared of what Paul's last Pokemon was and Ash was scared for her wellbeing.

He threw the pokeball onto the field. As the Pokemon came out of it, thunderclouds began to appear. Shortly after, you could hear thunder and lightning struck the field. When the Pokemon came out of the clouds, it was none other than one of the three legendary birds of Kanto, Zapdos.

"**I-I can't believe what I'm seeing!" **Rich stuttered. **"It seems- It seems that Paul has somehow captured a Zapdos!"**

Misty and Ash had a look of fear on her face, like they had both witnessed a murder. The same went for Brock, May, and Dawn, as well as the rest of their friends and the crowd, with the exception of Domino.

"That's right! Fear the almighty power of Zapdos!" Paul exclaimed insanely.

XXX

"I knew I was right." Cynthia stated as the champions sat in their seats, witnessing the events that are taking place in front of them.

"Remind me not to doubt you again." Steven said, attempting to make a joke.

"We have no time to argue and joke. We need to leave now and do an investigation. I'll get the G Men on it right away." Lance hissed at both of his colleagues.

They left knowing what the outcome would be and began their investigation on Paul.

XXX

"Zapdos use thunder!" Paul maniacally called. The Electric Pokemon shot down a powerful stream of electricity down at the Dragon Pokemon. Luckily for Misty, it missed and now was her time to retaliate.

"Kingdra use draco meteor!" Misty commanded.

"What?! Dodge them!" Paul ordered hastily.

The Dragon Pokemon shot an orange ball of energy, which after reaching its max altitude, broke into many meteors and they showered onto the battlefield. Luckily for Paul, Zapdos was able to dodge each of the meteors. And now it was his turn to attack. "Zapdos use sky attack!"

The legendary bird became surrounded by a white aura and launched itself right at the Dragon Pokemon. It made contact and instantly knocked it's adversary out.

"Kingdra is unable to battle; Zap-Zapdos is the winner." The referee stuttered, still surprised to see the legendary Pokemon.

Misty quickly returned her fainted water/dragon Pokemon. All she could do was zone out and stare at the legendary electric type. She was knocked out of her star struck state when she heard Ash encouraged her.

"Come on Misty! So what if he has a legendary Pokemon! You can still beat him because I believe in you!"

She let his words sink in. She then realized that he was right and got interrupted again by the referee. "You need to choose your next Pokemon."

Misty had a new found confidence. "Alright, Azumarill I choose you!"

The Aqua Rabbit Pokemon came back out for its second appearance in the battle. It looked up at who its opponent was and was immediately intimidated. Misty was able to calm her down and order an attack.

"Use rollout!"

"That's not going to work! Zapdos use rain dance!" Paul brutally ordered.

As Azumarill began to gain momentum in her rollout, it began to poor. Misty was confused at first on why he would use rain dance.

"_Why is he using that attack?" _She thought. _"Unless." _The realization hit her like a stampede of Tauros. And she heard him say what she thought he was going to say, which confirmed her worst nightmare.

"Thunder!"

As the Aqua Rabbit was about to make contact, Zapdos hit it with a very powerful dose of electricity, instantly knocking it out. Azumarill looked in real bad condition after being hit by the attack. Luckily for her, there was emergency Pokemon treatment.

"Azumarill is unable to battle, Zapdos is the winner!"

"**And Azumarill gets knocked out and seriously injured! Paul has the momentum now! Will Misty be able to take Zapdos out now?!"**

She was scared and worried about her second baby Pokemon. Then her emotions got the best of her.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU NEARLY KILL MY BABY! YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" The Cerulean City Gym Leader exclaimed very angrily as she released her Tentacruel from his spherical home.

"You shouldn't let baby's play with the bullies then huh?" He replied to her outburst. "And now I'm taking out that jellyfish of yours! Zapdos thunder!"

"Tentacruel use protect!"

As the Electric Pokemon unleashed yet another powerful jolt of electricity, Tentacruel created a green shield to protect himself from the attack. When the powerful electric attack struck the shield, it had so much power behind it that it broke the shield. Luckily for Misty, the Jellyfish Pokemon was unharmed. She needed to counter right away.

"Use toxic!" Tentacruel opened its mouth and shot a liquid ooze that was very poisonous at the legendary bird of Kanto and hit its mark. Misty's hope of winning this battle increased for her.

"**And Misty catches a break by badly poisoning Zapdos! She may have a chance to pull off the upset!" **Rich commentated.

The day before, Pokemon battle analysts said that Misty would lose badly to Paul and that she was the underdog. Now she was proving herself to be quite the battler, even though she's one of the best, if not the best gym leader in Kanto and one of the best out of the five known regions.

"Use thunder!" Paul commanded. For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Zapdos shot down another powerful bolt of electricity at Misty's Pokemon. And just like her last two Pokemon, Tentacruel didn't survive.

"Tentacruel is unable to battle, Zapdos wins!"

"**And now Misty is down to her last Pokemon! What will it be?!" **

"Come on Misty!" Ash encouraged his girlfriend. "I know who you kept last and I know you can win with him!"

Misty looked down at her last pokeball and she began to believe once again. He was Misty's most powerful Pokemon without a doubt. But will it be able to take down a legendary Pokemon? She would find out right now.

"I believe in you." She said to herself. "I choose you, Gyarados!" Her Atrocious Pokemon came out of its pokeball and screeched very loudly. It was enough to intimidate Paul, but Zapdos screeched back, indicating that it was willing to take on a worthy opponent, even though it was badly poisoned.

"Let's go Gyarados, use ice fang!" The sea dragon's fangs began to frost as it launched itself towards the electric/flying type and landed the attack. After being hit by the attack, Zapdos began to lose altitude, as the poisoning was starting to take its toll.

After the attack, the rain clouds began to drift away, which didn't matter to the undercover Rocket.

"Use thunderbolt!" Zapdos quickly charged up and shot a powerful stream of electricity at the water/flying type.

Misty knew how to counter it. It was a technique she learned from Ash. "Use twister!"

As the stream of electricity was heading towards the Atrocious Pokemon, he created a large tornado that was powerful enough to pull in the electric attack and cancel it out, which just infuriated Paul even more.

"Now hit it with a dragon pulse!" The blue and white serpentine dragon charged up and unleashed a powerful turquoise ball of energy right at its opponent.

After being hit by the attack, Zapdos was barely hovering over the ground. Paul had to end the battle right now. "Use thunder!"

"Counter with hyper beam!"

Zapdos and Gyarados charged up and launched their powerful attacks at each other. They collided in the middle of the field and caused a huge explosion, causing dust and a thick, black cloud to cover the battlefield.

Once the smoke and dust cleared, Gyarados was barely standing and Zapdos was barely hovering over the ground. It looked like it could end any minute, so Misty decided to take the opportunity. "Use hydro pump!"

The Atrocious Pokemon launched its head back to fire the attack, but felt a large sting of pain and fell onto its stomach.

The referee checked to see if the water/flying type was going to get up again. It wasn't. "Gyarados is unable to battle, Zapdos wins! Which means Paul will move on to the final match!"

The whole crowd began to boo at the decision. Over the course of the battle, they began to hate Paul. The Sinnoh native didn't care though, as he just returned the Pokemon and left the stadium.

Misty just stood there in shock. She was so close to winning and it slipped right through her fingers.

"Hey Mist, it's okay." He tried to comfort her.

Pikachu and Elektra also tried to comfort her as well.

"No it's not!" She yelled, getting away from him. "I almost won and he used a legendary Pokemon! He shouldn't be allowed to do that!"

"But Mist, there's nothing in the rules where he wasn't allowed to use one." Ash explained. "I had to face three and they were all owned by one person."

She began to tear up and Ash quickly hugged her. They began to walk out of the stadium.

"**And there you have it folks! The championship battle will be tomorrow! Paul vs. Ash! Who will win? You have to be there to see it!"**

"I feel so bad for Misty." May said in a sympathetic tone.

"Same." Dawn agreed.

"Well, let's try to comfort her." Brock suggested.

The girls agreed as they began to leave the stadium to find Ash and Misty.

XXX

It was a long day for Ash and Misty. Ash had to worry about facing Paul tomorrow and not even knowing what kind of Pokemon he would have and Misty was still trying to get over the loss.

"Come on Mist. Let's just go to bed." Ash begged his girlfriend. "We can't stay up all night."

"Fine." She gave in. "But I have to go to the bathroom." Togetic flew towards Misty and Elektra walked towards and she waved them off. "Come on Togetic, return to your pokeball. And Elektra, I need you to stay here with Ash and Pikachu."

Togetic gave in as well and returned to his pokeball and Elektra stayed with them.

Misty left the room they stayed in and had to go find the bathroom. At first it was just a peaceful little walk and then she saw another shadow following her. She quickly turned around to see nothing.

"Huh," She whispered. "Maybe I'm seeing things."

She continued her walk for another minute. She saw a mysterious figure behind her and by the time she turned around to find out what it was, she began to see black and fell to the floor unconscious.

"Mission complete." The figure said through their headset.

"Good. Bring her back to the hideout." The other person replied.

They carried her and began their escape.

In the background, there were three witnesses who saw the whole thing. As soon as they saw her escape, they ran away to an area where they couldn't be seen.

XXX

The sun shined brightly in the room where Ash and Pikachu were sleeping. He turned and began to slowly open his eyes to see that no one was there.

"_Huh, wonder where she is." _He thought tiringly.

As he forced himself up out of the king sized bed, he started his search to the bathroom. He wasn't successful. He then went to everyone's room to see if she was there and they said that she wasn't. He began to worry. His heart began to pump faster and faster. He then went back to his room. He saw Pikachu hold something.

Elektra also began to worry. Her and Pikachu began to look around for some other evidence and Pikachu found something.

"Hey Pikachu, what's that?" He asked his best Pokemon friend.

He gave it to him and he opened. It was an envelope. As soon as he opened it, a recognizable necklace fell out and a piece of paper fell out as well. He opened up the folded paper and skimmed on what the note said. His worst nightmare came true.

"What does the note say?" Brock asked, worried as much as Ash was.

"Misty's been kidnapped."

XXX

That's chapter 36! I really enjoyed this chapter. I've been looking forward to this part of the story. It's gonna be fantastic! And now onto the questions: Who kidnapped Misty? Why would they do it? Who were the witnesses to the kidnapping? You'll have to wait and find out! Hopefully it'll be in another week or two.

P.S.- I beat my own deadline, so hopefully I can keep doing it.


	38. Chapter 37- Confessions of the Guilty

As I promised, I'm working on the next chapter and attempting to finish it as soon as possible. Enough of my blabbing here's chapter 37!

Chapter 37- Confessions of the Guilty

Brock, May, and Dawn were completely speechless. Togetic, Pikachu, and Elektra had looks of terror on their faces. Someone had to break the silence in the room.

"Are you sure Ash?" The Pokemon Doctor asked.

"I'm positive." He answered right away. "Check out what this note says."

Ash walked to the door of his room, where everyone was standing. He was being followed by the three Pokemon. They all gathered around to read the note with Ash being in the center, Brock being on his right, Dawn and May on his left. The two Pikachu were on Ash's two shoulders and Togetic was hovering next to May.

**It's been quite a long time since we've last seen you. As you see, we've kidnapped your little girlfriend. If you don't surrender, you'll never see her again. If you do, we'll bring her back to you safe and sound. I suggest you make your choice very quickly as the battle is this afternoon. I hope you make the right choice for her sake.**

"And they didn't even leave a name." May was the first one to observe.

"Which makes it a lot harder for us to find out who did it." Dawn chimed in.

Ash just stared at the text. He was scared and confused. He wanted to save Misty, but he also wanted to battle. Ash quickly observed the time on the clock, which read 10:30 am. He realized that he had to give up his dream ever since he was 10, even though he didn't want to. Brock was the first to see that Ash was confused and having a battle on the inside.

"Ash, you know what we have to do." Brock reassured him, placing his left hand on his right arm.

"I know." Ash mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. He forced himself not to be scared and quickly discussed on what they should do next. "What should we do?"

"I have an idea." Dawn said with confidence, causing everyone to look at her. "Let's see if Pikachu and Elektra can find her scent."

"Great idea Dawn!" Ash exclaimed happily. "Pikachu, Elektra, I need you to sniff out Misty's scent."

"Hold on, you need to get your poke balls." Brock reminded the Pallet Town trainer. "We don't know where it could lead us."

Ash quickly grabbed ten pokeballs just in case the worst could happen.

Pikachu and Elektra started to sniff around the room. They sniffed Misty's red bag to try to get a lead. And luckily, they did. Both electric mice sprinted out of the room to see where the scent would lead them too. They were being followed by the four trainers. They kept going until both Pikachu made a complete stop in the middle of the hallway, confusing the stressed out, black haired trainer.

"What's the matter?" Ash asked both Pikachu.

"I think they've lost her scent. Whoever did kidnap her did a great job of leaving no signs." Brock analyzed.

"Well, what do we do now?" Dawn asked dolefully.

"We have to tell the police." May answered right away.

"We should also let the champions know." Brock informed him.

"How about this, you guys take the note and give it to the police and I'll go tell the champions about what's going on." Ash suggested.

"Yeah good idea Ash." Brock agreed. "You go now."

So after taking the note from Ash, Brock, Dawn, and May went to the Indigo Plateau Police Department while Ash was on his way towards the stadium, while Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic went with Ash.

Ash returned Togetic and him and the two Pikachu began to sprint towards the stadium in hope that the champions would be there by now. He was running so fast that he ran into three people wearing trench coats, knocking them over and almost revealing their identity.

"I'm sorry you guys, but I'm in a real hurry." He quickly apologized.

"It's fine, but why are you in a hurry?" The tall male spoke, sounding awfully familiar to him.

"I need to find the champions. My girlfriend's been kidnapped and I don't know who did it." Ash quickly explained his situation.

"You're Ash Ketchum right?" The tall female spoke, again sounding familiar to Ash. He nodded his head up and down. "And you're girlfriend's Misty Waterflower?" Again, he nodded his head. "We know who kidnapped her."

Ash just froze after hearing those five words. He was filled with happiness because these strangers knew where she was and confusion because he had no idea who they were and wondering why they would help her. "That's great! Can you help me out?!" He begged.

"Open and read this. It'll tell you everything you need to know." The smallest, what Ash assumed person, instructed him while handing him an envelope.

He quickly opened the envelope and forced the letter out of it. He opened it and glanced at it, reading every detail carefully. It answered all the questions he was asking. As he continued to reading, he got visibly angrier. After he read it, he put it back into his pocket.

"Thank you, whoever you are. I need to go rescue her." Ash said to the three mysterious figures.

Ash knew everything that he needed to know and began to sprint away in the opposite direction away from the stadium.

"_Don't worry Mist. I'm on my way." _Ash thought as he sprinted to the location of where she was.

The three figures began to converse with each other after taking off their hats.

"Why are we doing this again?" The smaller one asked, revealing to be Meowth.

"It's called payback." The woman answered, revealing to be Jessie.

"Now what's our next move?" The man asked, revealing to be James.

"We go to the stadium and wait for his friends to show up and talk to the champions. And then we'll help them all out." Jessie answered her longtime partner in crime.

"Will we reveal our identity to them and tell them what happened?" The talking cat asked his two partners.

"We might as well do it." James conceded.

"I guess we will." Jessie confirmed.

"We need to get to the stadium now." Meowth told them.

The three placed their hats and leisurely walked towards the stadium, waiting for Ash's friends to get there.

XXX

At the police station, Brock, May, and Dawn were anxiously waiting for the female officer to return to them with good news. The stress among the group has been high all day ever since Ash announced Misty's kidnapping. Brock knew that he would make the right decision.

The officer had a very sympathetic look on her face as she returned to the group of young adults. "I'm sorry guys; we can't find any evidence on who did it."

"Aw man! What are we going to do?!" Dawn complained like a young child.

"Let's go." Jenny began. "I'll take you guys to the stadium and we'll get the champions involved."

"Ash should be at the stadium by now telling them everything." Brock informed the police officer.

"Okay, then we'll meet him there then." She replied.

Officer Jenny led Brock, May, and Dawn to her police car. They all got in the car and as they began, Jenny yelled "Yall better hold on tight!" as they sped down the road towards the stadium.

XXX

Paul was standing in his battle box of the grass arena, holding an unsure look, waiting for the moment to simply be given the victory. He was very angry at Domino and Giovanni. He actually wanted the chance to battle Ash, like the crime boss promised. He was mere minutes from winning the tournament and the chance to battle one of the champions. The Veilstone City trainer closed his eyes and relived the events right before arriving at the stadium.

"_Listen Paul, to both of our benefits, there has been a slight change in plans." Giovanni informed the purple haired trainer. _

"_What do you mean 'slight change of plans'?" He questioned his leader with a tone Giovanni didn't care for at all._

_He shrugged it off. "Domino just kidnapped the girl you beat yesterday. So I expect him to try to find us while you just walk on in and take the victory."_

"_What?! You promised me a battle from him!" Paul hissed at the Team Rocket leader._

"_No, I promised you the championship title." He clarified. "You will go to the stadium and declare your challenge to either Cynthia or Steven. Then we will discuss the Pokemon you will use against them."_

"_And what if I don't?" He asked, making it sound like he actually wouldn't._

"_Then I'll make you regret that decision for the rest of your life." Giovanni hissed back._

_Now Paul was intimidated and scared. He knew Giovanni was tough, but how tough could he be? Paul didn't want to find out, so he gave in and took the Pokemon that were his. "Fine, I'm on my way there now." _

"_Good. Call me after you win to tell me if you're facing Cynthia or Steven." He ordered and hung up shortly after. _

He opened his eyes to see that the opponent box was still empty. He then turned his attention to the clock, which read 11:50.

"_In ten minutes, I'll win and get a chance to face one of the champions." _He thought. "But is it worth it?"

Ever since he lost to Ash in the Lily of the Valley Conference, he questioned his own methods and considered listening to Ash and his ways. He tried to befriend his own Pokemon, but it was too difficult for him to change, so he still continued to be ruthless with them and their training. Before this tournament, he traveled to Kanto to compete in the battle frontier, just like his older brother Reggie did long ago. He was easily able to get six of the symbols, but when it came to the brave symbol, he just couldn't win it. He trained for what seemed centuries using the same ruthless tactics he was used to using and kept failing and failing.

So now he closed his eyes once more, this time he was confronted by a mirror image of himself.

"_Who are you?" Paul asked in a demanding tone._

"_I'm you." He simply answered. "Well, to be more specific, I'm yourself conscious."_

"_Are you the reason why I battle with power and brute force?" Paul asked._

"_No, I try to make you see that Ash's way is better and befriending your Pokemon." He began to answer. "You see, having strength is fine, but you're ruthless with every single one of them, even your first Pokemon, Torterra."_

"_But that's how Pokemon get strong, through brute force training." Paul told his mirror image._

"_Then explain Chimchar, excuse me Infernape." He replied quickly._

He did have a point. Because of his ways, he lost what easily rivaled as Paul's best Pokemon next to Torterra and Electivire, Infernape decided to be on Ash's team and was one of Ash's most powerful Pokemon and defeated Paul in the Lily of the Valley Conference.

"_But why are you here?" Paul asked._

"_You're just full of questions today are you? Well, it's obvious that you are unease about Team Rocket and wanting an actual fair battle with Ash. You wanted to redeem yourself and Giovanni destroyed it. And you're also thinking of declining the title and lend a helping hand in taking down Giovanni." He answered with confidence._

_Paul was just astounded on how right he was. Now the question was, did he want to follow through it._

"_You should listen to me this time. Don't accept that title now. Tell them everything and help take down Giovanni. Who knows, you might get lucky because Ash would love to challenge you."_

_Paul hesitated at first to answer, but after everything his self-conscious told him, he knew he was right. Even though he's risking the chance of not being able to fight for the title at all, he knew that he couldn't deal with being affiliated with Giovanni. _

"_Fine, but you better hope your right." Paul answered._

"_Trust me, I am." He told him and disappeared as he was now interrupted by some noise._

"**Ladies and Gentleman, it seems that Ash Ketchum decided not to participate in the championship battle today, so the winner of the tournament is Paul!" **Rich announced.

The four champions, Lance, Steven, Cynthia, and Alder all walked onto the battlefield with Charles Goodshow to hand him the championship trophy. The champions all kept their composure because they were all angry about not being able to find anything in their research on Paul.

"Congratulations Paul! Since your challenger didn't arrive to the stadium on time, you are declared the winner of the tournament!" He congratulated the Sinnoh native while handing him a trophy.

The majority of the crowd was not pleased to see this happen. They wanted to see a battle with two of the best trainers in the world, and who were also heated rivals. The crowd began to boo and chant 'Battle' throughout the arena.

A few fans in particular were very upset to see the battle not happen.

"What?! How could Ash not show up?!" Iris screamed in displeasure along with the crowd.

"Well, it certainly isn't like Ash to miss a huge battle like this." Cilan began. "But there has to be a reason why he didn't show up."

Now Iris, you can't just rush to conclusions." Drayden chimed in. "I have to agree with Cilan on this one. Although I don't know him as well as you two, from what you tell me he loves to battle and this is his biggest chance he's ever had. I don't think he would just quit after all this time."

"I guess so." Iris gave in. "But we need to find out why."

"Hey guys!" Cilan interrupted them. "I see Ash's friends! Maybe they know!"

With that, they got out of their seats and the three trainers sprinted towards the group of trainers and the officer.

XXX

Officer Jenny, Brock, May and Dawn had just witnessed Mr. Goodshow handing the trophy to Paul. They all instantly felt depressed.

"Aw man, Paul already got the trophy." Dawn sulked.

"I know. We're too late!" May cried out.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Officer Jenny chimed in, encouraging the girls once more. Before they walked down an aisle of the huge stadium, they three people run up the stairs of the isle they were walking, two of them looked familiar and one of them didn't.

"Hey guys look! It's Iris and Cilan!" Dawn interrupted.

The trainers and officer all met in the center of the aisle and began to converse on what was going on.

"Hey guys!" Iris greeted.

"It's certainly has been a while since we last saw each other." Cilan added.

"Look, we don't have time to catch up. We need to get to the stadium." Jenny interrupted their little reunion.

As the large group of trainers walked down the stairs and onto the stadium, Dawn began to catch Iris and Cilan up on what was going on.

"Why isn't Ash here at the biggest battle of his life?!" Iris asked her blue haired best friend.

"Misty got kidnapped by someone and he's been looking for her." Dawn answered.

"That's terrible." Cilan said. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Just keep walking with us. Jenny has a plan." Dawn quickly answered.

Meanwhile Brock was figuring out who the older man was.

"I'm sorry, but who are you and what are you doing with Cilan and Iris?" Brock asked.

The older, muscular man looked down and replied. "I'm Drayden. I'm the former Opelucid Gym Leader and Iris's teacher."

"Teacher? And former Gym leader?" Brock questioned.

"I'll explain it all later. We have to see what the situation with your friend is about." He replied to the younger man, completely ignoring his question.

Officer Jenny led the group to the bottom of the aisle and onto the field, but were stopped by stadium security.

"You can't be on the field." The first guard ordered.

"Out of the way!" She angrily yelled. "They have to know what's going on!"

They stood down and let her and the group of trainers walk towards the group of people in the center of the battlefield.

XXX

Paul received the trophy and began to speak. "Thank you Mr. Goodshow, but-"

He was interrupted by a yell from Officer Jenny and her group of trainers. "Hey!"

Mr. Goodshow was more than mad about what just happened. "What are you doing on the battlefield officer?"

"This is an emergency! Misty Waterflower's been kidnapped and we need the champions help to find her!" The female police officer pleaded.

"Is that why he never showed up, to rescue his girlfriend?" The Hoenn Champion asked.

"Yes and we need your help to find her." Brock answered for the group.

Paul was a little nervous to speak up, but he knew that he had to speak up. "I know who kidnapped her."

The champions, Mr. Goodshow, Officer Jenny, and Ash's friends froze and turned to Paul. They also couldn't believe what he just said. They had to find out.

"How do you know?" The Sinnoh Champion asked the Veilstone City trainer.

"It was Team Rocket and Giovanni. I know because I'm a Team Rocket Agent."

Those words were just knives in the hearts of everyone who heard him say that, especially to Mr. Goodshow. They were absolutely stunned to hear what the purple haired trainer just said. Brock and Dawn knew that he was a jerk who only cared about the power of a Pokemon, but they never thought he would stoop so low and join a criminal organization like Team Rocket.

"You better tell us everything!" Lance shouted at the trainer.

"That's what I plan to do." Paul yelled right back. "He promised me a battle with Ash and he didn't live up to it."

"You should've known who you were messing with Paul. Giovanni is a man who uses people to get what he wants from them and then tosses them like trash when he's done with them." Mr. Goodshow explained.

"Alright Paul, lead us to where he is." Jenny demanded.

"I don't know that." He admitted.

"Hold on," Cynthia interrupted. "We need to gather a team of trainers first, and then we head to the hideout."

Everyone on the battlefield left, leaving everyone in the stadium in total confusion.

"**Uh, ladies and gentleman, it seems that everyone has left the battlefield." **Rich commentated, confused on what all the commotion was all about. **"Something must've brought the attention of everyone. I'll have an update once I know what's going on."**

XXX

"Wake up."

Misty groaned and began to slowly open her eyes. They were groggy and as soon as they were fully open, she needed to shut them right away as the room she was in was too bright. As she opened her eyes once again, her eyes got adjusted to how bright the room was. When she tried to move, she looked down and realized that she was chained down in a chair.

"Good, you're finally up." The woman said.

Misty looked up to see who the woman was. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Domino!"

She was impressed and surprised that she knew who she was. "Well, well, you do remember me? I'm impressed. I thought you wouldn't recognize me without this…" She trailed off and put on a familiar hat and glasses that she wore when she was incognito.

"So _you _were Dominique!" Misty exclaimed, hissing in complete surprise. "I knew something was weird about you!"

"Enough!"

Another voice came through the wall. It was the only voice that could intimidate Domino, and that it did. It scared Misty even more. It was so unexpected and scary that she nearly had a heart attack from just hearing it. He opened the door to the room that they were both in and had no intentions on hiding his identity. It was Giovanni.

"You!" Misty gasped at the sight of the Team Rocket leader.

"Hello there Ms. Waterflower." Giovanni kindly greeted the Cerulean City Gym Leader and his current hostage.

"What do you want from me?!" She yelled.

He didn't like her yelling, so he grabbed her jaw and got in her face. "Let me tell you something personal about myself: I _hate _being yelled at!" He hissed at the red head, who was trying to keep a straight face. He let go as he began to finish his explanation. "I had a mother who always yelled!"

"Why am I here?!" Misty demanded to know from the Team Rocket leader.

"How dare you yell at him!" Domino hissed. "You have no right to-"

"Step down agent!" Giovanni interrupted his top agent. "She has a right to know, it's not like you'll remember anyway. You're here because you're insurance in case I don't get what I want. And according to my sources, I've got it, but it's never a bad idea to have a backup plan just in case you don't."

"Wait, what do you mean?" She asked.

"Oh you didn't know, Paul's our new agent and he's rising through the ranks of my organization." He began to explain. "He just won the tournament due to your little boyfriend not showing up. And if he did love you, he'd be trying to find you."

"_What?! How could he just not show up to one of the most important battles of his life?" _Misty thought. "Is that how Paul got Zapdos?"

"Why yes it was." He answered. "And I've gotta give you a lot of credit, you really were close to defeating him."

"He's a coward, just like you!"

"That's an awful mistake you just made there, little girl! And you'll see why!" He hissed as he released a Gengar and motioned it towards the girl. He began to use his powers on the gym leader, and she began to not feel good. She felt like she was losing control over herself. Her soul and will power were slowly being sucked away from her body.

XXX

"Alright does everyone know what they're doing?" Lance asked the large group of trainers in the locker room.

In the room was Ash's traveling companions, the champions, Paul, Bruno, Lucian, Drake, Tobias, Drew, Gary, Ritchie, Drayden, and Lieutenant Surge.

"Understood." Everyone replied.

"Alright then, let's get going. Let's hurry before Ash is in this all alone." Lance said.

"But there's one problem, where is the place that he's in?" Steven asked.

"I think we can answer that." A mysterious figure in a trench coat answered.

Everyone turned around to see who it was. It was three mysterious figures in trench coats, two of them the same height while the other one was shorter.

"Alright who are you three and what do you know?!" The Vermillion City Gym Leader ordered.

They removed their trench coats, revealing their identities. It was none other than Jessie, James, and Meowth. No one in the room recognized them accept for Ash's traveling companions and Ritchie.

"It's Team Rocket!" Dawn exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?!" Brock demanded.

They quickly got scared and threw up their hands and tried to defend themselves. "We're not a part of Team Rocket anymore!" James exclaimed.

"Wait, what do you mean you're not a part of Team Rocket?" May asked curiously.

"We were fired by Giovanni." Jessie answered Ash's Hoenn traveling partner.

"And why are you helping us?" Ritchie asked.

"Let's just say we wanna see Giovanni and Team Rocket to go down." The talking cat answered.

"Yes. And just because we're gonna help you doesn't mean we're good guys." Jessie added.

"Fine, just tell us where he is." Cynthia demanded.

James tossed him an envelope filled with important information. "You'll find everything in there." After they gave them the info, they walked away and vanished from the group.

The champions opened it and glanced through the notes. It had everything and anything they wanted to know. From where his hideout was, to all the other hideouts were and even personal missions and goals.

"This is perfect!" Lance exclaimed.

"Team Rocket's finished!" Cynthia exclaimed as well.

"We'll take him down with ease now!" Steven exclaimed uncharacteristically.

"Let's do dis den!" Lt. Surge exclaimed.

Everyone cheered in excitement as they were all pumped to find out personal information about Team Rocket.

XXX

"I'm finally here." Ash panted as he was tired from sprinting to the location.

He arrived at the location to where their hideout was. It was an old, abandoned warehouse, the perfect place to have a hideout. No one would expect there to be a hideout. He looked to his right, where Pikachu and Elektra were on the ground. They looked up at him with a nervous look. He looked back at them with a look of assurance and confidence. He also felt in his pocket and felt the necklace he gave Misty what seemed so long ago. He needed to refocus back on the mission.

It looked safe to go in, but he looked around to see if it really was. After a quick examination of the outside, he determined that it was. He opened the doors and walked into a dark room.

"Hey Giovanni!" Ash yelled angrily in the dark room. "I know you want me here, so here I am!"

All of the sudden the lights flickered on and Ash couldn't believe what he saw. There was a huge arena in the middle of the building. But what surprised him the most was who was in the middle of the battlefield: Misty.

He, Pikachu, and Elektra sprinted towards the battlefield and yelled her name. "Misty! Are you-"

The Pallet Town trainer paused and realized that there was something wrong with his girlfriend. She looked completely different as she stood there with a malicious smile. She also stood there in an all-black Team Rocket uniform with the infamous blood red "R". But the biggest difference that he noticed was her eyes. They used to be a beautiful blue-green, but they were now grey and soulless. When he stopped staring at her, he realized what was controlling her: a Gengar.

"Oh, so you noticed that the love of your life is acting a little different huh?" Misty spoke, her voice being altered because of her being controlled by Giovanni. "In case you didn't figure out yet, I'm using Gengar to speak through your girlfriend."

Ash growled angrily. "You're a coward! A punk! And why did you kidnap her?!"

"You have information I want." He answered the angered trainer. "And thanks to you not battling Paul, he won the championship and will defeat one of the champions and help me find Mewtwo!"

Ash widened his eyes on what he just said. "What do you want with Mewtwo?!"

"That has nothing to do with you! And you're in no position to demand anything! Now we're going to battle!" He ordered.

"If I win, you'll let her go!" Ash offered.

It was his turn to offer. "Fine and if I win, you'll become a Rocket Agent!"

Ash hesitated. He didn't want to be a part of an organization he hated with a passion, but if he didn't agree to his terms, he could lose Misty forever. "Fine."

"Good, now get in your battle box." The Rocket Leader ordered as his mind puppet began to walk to the side of the field. When Ash made it to his side of the field, the entire battlefield was immediately surrounded by layers of light screens and reflects surrounding Ash, Pikachu, Elektra, the mind controlled Misty, and the Gengar controlling her, leaving the black haired trainer scared and confused.

"Wait, what's going on?!" Ash panicked.

"You've been surrounded by a layers of light screens and barriers." He began to explain. "There are certain things I don't want you to do. For example, running away or sending one of those rats to get help. Also, if you attack the Gengar that I'm using to control her, I'll kill your girlfriend with no hesitation. Got that?!"

He shakily shook his head agreeing to the terms. His plans of trying that were foiled when Giovanni threatened to kill Misty right away.

"Now that's settled, it'll be a six on six battle. Substitutions are allowed whenever." Giovanni explained.

"Fine, I'll defeat you Giovanni!" Ash angrily yelled at the Rocket boss.

"Let the battle begin!" He replied, making Misty smile maliciously.

"_I have to rescue her, no matter what I do." _Ash thought.

XXX

Chapter 37 is done! And in only two days! So because of that, the battle will be a while. Hopefully not too long. Imma get started right away, but not right now. It's 2:30 am and I'm exhausted. So, goodnight! Rates and reviews are appreciated!


	39. Chapter 38- Operation: Rescue Misty!

I was going to start this chapter on the weekend, but I ended up being busy. So now here I am starting it. Also, I realized that I just got 100 reviews for this story! So I wanna take a moment to thank you loyal readers for reading this story! I hope to get more readers and more reviews! And can you guys guess where I got this idea from? It should be pretty easy. So anyway, onto the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 38- Operation: Rescue Misty!

"This battle's going to be quick! Go Absol!" The mind controlled Misty exclaimed as she released the Disaster Pokemon.

"What did you do with her Pokemon?!" Ash yelled across the battlefield.

"She didn't have any on her." Giovanni answered through his Gengar. "I was really looking forward to taking her Pokemon as they would be a valuable asset for Team Rocket!"

Not only did this provoke Ash more, this made him even angrier than disturbing a sleeping Snorlax. "You'll pay for this Giovanni I guarantee you that! Go Donphan!"

XXX

After receiving all the Intel from the former Team Rocket agents Jessie, James, and Meowth, Lance was leading everyone and they were in the distance of where the warehouse where Ash and Misty were trapped in. He ordered everyone behind him to stop as he didn't want to arrive too close to it.

"Why are we stopping Lance?" Lieutenant Surge asked angrily. "We should be heading in and attacking!"

"Okay and walk right into a possible trap?" Lance countered in a similar tone. "I have a plan that we need to follow. You're up now Lieutenant."

"Fine." He mumbled angrily, but made sure Lance didn't hear it. He picked up a couple of his poke balls and released two Luxrays, while the Hoenn champion released his Metagross, and Tobias released his Latios and Latias.

"Alright everyone, I need to see if you can look through the walls of the warehouse and show us what's happening." Cynthia ordered to the Pokemon and the trainers.

Lance, Steven, Tobias, and Lt. Surge slowly began their mini trek towards the warehouse, trying not to get caught. Once Lance thought they were in range for the Pokemon to use their special abilities, he ordered them to stop. "Alright, you know what to do."

After receiving the order, the five Pokemon used their powers to see if they could see anything passed through the walls. After a few minutes, the Pokemon ceased their abilities and looked at their masters with disappointing looks.

"What's da matter Luxray?" The Vermillion City gym leader asked his two Luxray.

"It seems that the Luxray and my Metagross weren't able to penetrate the walls of the building." Steven concluded.

"Neither were Latios and Latias." Tobias chimed in.

"Well, this changes things dramatically." Lance interrupted the three trainers. He pressed his pointer and middle fingers into the headset piece that was in his ear. "Cynthia, the Pokemon weren't able to see through the walls of the buildings."

"Then that must means Giovanni somehow knew that we were coming." Cynthia replied through her headset.

"I have an idea though, but you may not like it." Lance told the Sinnoh champion.

He could hear her heavily sighing through the machine. "What is it?"

"Myself and Surge both infiltrate the facility."

"No! That's too dangerous!"

"It's our only chance to save them!"

Cynthia paused for the moment. She knew that this was a very bad idea, but Lance did have a good point. He always had the 'do it yourself' attitude and that's what made him a very successful champion. At the moment though, she thought that his attitude could get him killed. After some more thinking, she gave in and let him go through with it. "Fine, send back Steven and Tobias. Just be careful."

"Got it." He replied back. He then looked at the three other trainers to tell them the situation.

"So what's the plan now?" Steven asked the Kanto and Johto Champion.

"You and Tobias are going to report back to Cynthia while the Lieutenant and I are going to infiltrate the building and see what's going on ourselves." Lance explained the plan to the group, causing the Lieutenant to grow a smile onto his face.

"I know I have no say in this, but that doesn't sound like the best idea in the world right now." Tobias advised Lance.

"I have to agree with Tobias on this one." Steven agreed with the powerful trainer.

"I already had this discussion. This is our only chance to save them. I need you two to report back to Cynthia. End of discussion." Lance replied aggravated at the two trainers, dismissing the conversation. He led the Vermillion City gym leader towards the warehouse cautiously.

As they were approaching the entrance to the warehouse, they saw two rocket agents and had to quickly get away and hide, so they sprinted towards the opposite side of where they were hiding along the wall of the building. The two rocket agents, one who was big and bulky and the other was shorter than him, both walked over towards where they saw suspicious activity. Once they made it there, that's where Lance and Lt. Surge made their move and struck them in the neck and knocked them out.

They then took their clothes and put it on themselves. Both incognito Rocket agents walked to where they thought they came out of the building and saw a door. Once they entered, they saw the whole situation in front of them. Lance and Lt. Surge continued their rendezvous; they climbed up a pair of stairs that led them to a better view of the battle. The Kanto and Johto Champion continued to communicate with the Sinnoh Champion.

"Both targets are here and are battling." Lance whispered in the communication device.

"Battling?" Cynthia asked, questioning Lance's observation.

"It looks like it just started. I'll get some more Intel." Lance replied quickly.

XXX

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Absol had already won the first battle for Giovanni. The Disaster Pokemon used an ice beam at the beginning of the battle and made direct contact with the Armor Pokemon, weakening it for the rest of the battle. Ash ordered Donphan to use an earthquake but Giovanni ordered Absol to jump and use a shadow claw that immediately knock out its opponent.

"Well, that was a quick battle," The mind slave began to mock the Pallet Town trainer. "If that's how you would've performed against Paul, you would have lost all six Pokemon by now."

As much as Ash wanted to reply to the insult, he was too much in shock too. He still couldn't get over the fact that he was battling Giovanni while he used his girlfriend to control her. He knew he had to think of a way to free her, but he couldn't think of one at the moment.

"_What can I do?" Ash began to think. "If I attack the Gengar controlling Misty, he'll kill her. There's no way I can get outta here or send Pikachu or Elektra for help. Man, what am I going to do?!"_

"Hey Ketchum, let's get going already!" Giovanni called out to the trainer. "My Absol's looking forward to defeat your next Pokemon."

The black haired trainer didn't reply to Giovanni's remark as he tossed his next poke ball onto the field and unleashing his Houndoom. He also didn't waste any time in trying to get the first move in. "Use fire spin!"

The dark/fire canine unleashed obliged and unleashed a powerful stream of fire straight for the Disaster Pokemon. Luckily for Ash, the powerful fire attack hit its target, trapping its opponent in a tornado of fire, slowly damaging Giovanni's Absol.

"Use water pulse directly onto the ground!" The dark cat like Pokemon opened its mouth, creating a ball of water and then released it onto the ground, freeing itself from the fire vortex that it was trapped in.

Ash saw that the attack was still coming at Houndoom and needed to counter quickly. "Jump over it and use thunder fang!" The Dark Pokemon jumped over the wave of water and began to sprint towards the powerful Absol. Once Houndoom was close enough, he stuck his electrocuted fangs into the Disaster Pokemon's neck and felt sparks of electricity run through it as it caused Absol to howl in pain.

"Now hit it with iron tail!" Houndoom threw up its adversary and jumped with it. As the Dark Pokemon's tail turned to steel, it did a series of front flips and finally smacked Absol with its iron covered tail causing it to fall and creating a hole into the ground. Now was the time for Ash to finish this battle.

"Now finish it with flamethrower!"

"Counter with dark pulse!"

Houndoom roared as it unleashed a stream of fire while in midair. Absol, still lying on the ground, turned its head up and unleashed streaks of dark energy. It was a power struggle between the two Pokemon as both attacks pushed against each other, but because of the damage that Absol received, his attack got weaker and weaker as the stream of fire began to gain the advantage in the power struggle. Eventually, the Disaster Pokemon gave up and the stream of fire consumed it. After Houndoom landed on its side of the field, it was clear that Absol lost.

The hypnotized Misty returned the fainted dark type and stared right at Ash with her soulless eyes. "You know you'll never save her. If you lose, you'll be a part of my organization. And your girlfriend will be mine forever!"

Ash growled at the remark he made while his fists clenched. He couldn't let Giovanni win no matter what. But the problem was he still didn't have any idea on how he was going to save Misty.

"Go Bastiodon!" The Shield Pokemon appeared on the field and ready to battle as it began to hoof its right foot, ready to take down its opponent. Just like Ash did, he wasted no time on calling an attack. "Use stone edge!"

Unlike Giovanni though, Ash was able to counter the attack. "Dodge it and use flamethrower!" The canine moved out of the way of the sharp stones and once again unleashed a barrage of fire towards the Shield Pokemon. Being so slow, it wasn't able to dodge out of the way of the attack.

"Use earthquake!" Once recovered from the attack, Bastiodon lifted its hind legs and stomp on the ground, causing the entire battlefield and inside the warehouse to shake. Bastiodon showed no mercy in the attack whatsoever.

Ash saw that Houndoom was taking serious damage and had to do something fast. "You've gotta jump and use fire fang!" The dark type jumped as high as it could and began to fall toward its opponent with its teeth on fire. Once in range, Houndoom made contact with the attack, leaving Bastiodon engulfed in flames. After the effects of the burning, Bastiodon collapsed and fainted. When Houndoom made it to his side of the battlefield, he collapsed and fainted as well from fatigue and exhaustion.

XXX

Lance kept rendezvousing around the facility with Surge while collecting information and watching the battle.

"Surge, follow my lead." The Kanto and Johto Champion whispered.

"Got it."

They both walked up to a group of Rocket agents who were on duty watching the battle to see if they knew what was going on.

"Hey guys, you know what's going on right now? We missed the meeting this morning." Lance asked the group of Rocket agents while adjusting his head piece so that Cynthia could hear what the situation was.

"Okay. What's going on is that Giovanni captured this kid's girlfriend and now their battling." He replied.

"I see that smartass," The incognito Lieutenant replied. "What we missed is all these details. Who's using the light screen and barrier? How is he controlling her?"

"Fine, fine," The second agent chimed in. "He has an army of Alakazams using light screens and barriers surrounding the battlefield so no one can get in or out. He's also using his Gengar to control the girl. That's all we were told."

"Alright, thanks. We gotta cover someone else's shift now." Lance replied calmly as he and Surge powerwalked the other way.

Once he made sure that they were at a safe distance from any Rocket agents, he adjusted his headset again to contact Cynthia. "Did you get all that?"

"Yes." The Sinnoh Champion replied. "We're coming up with the plan now. Tell us when the battle is almost over and that's when we'll strike."

"Got it, Lance out." He whispered.

From that point on, he and Surge could only watch the battle and hope that Ash would find a way to rescue Misty without hurting her.

XXX

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Ash released his Torterra while Giovanni released a Kabutops. The battle between those two had been going mostly Ash's way. Torterra started the battle with razor leaf and scored a direct hit and then went right into a grass type Pokemons most powerful attack, frenzy plant. Unfortunately for Ash, the attack missed because he ordered the Shellfish Pokemon to shoot straight up in the air and use an ice beam. The Continent Pokemon couldn't move because of the after effects of frenzy plant and was forced to take the ice beam directly. After taking a few more ice beams, Torterra fainted.

"It seems like your Torterra barely made a scratch on my Kabutops! At this rate, you'll never win!" Giovanni spoke through his Gengar, making Misty talk.

It hurt Ash to see Pokemon in pain, which gave him an idea that could possibly work. _"Maybe if I send in Elektra and have her battle, it'll bring Misty to her senses."_

"Elektra," Ash looked down at the female Pikachu, who looked back up at the black haired trainer. "Are you ready to battle?!"

She looked across the field to see her former master. Ash could tell that she was scared and hesitant to battle, but he knew how to encourage her. "Elektra, remember that's not the real Misty! She's being controlled by Giovanni! If you battle now, you can possibly save her!"

Elektra listened to the words he spoke. She then gave him her answer as she jumped onto the battlefield, ready to battle. Ash's Pikachu began to cheer her on.

On the other side of the field, the body that Giovanni was controlling was just staring at the trainer. Something inside her must have gone off when she saw her Pikachu, Elektra. Misty's will was beginning her fight for her body back.

Inside her body, the actual Misty felt like she was trapped in a prison and was attempting to break out as soon as she saw her Pikachu hit the field. It was a power struggle between the two, as it was now starting to become visible as her eyes kept switching back and forth between her normal color of blue green and the soulless grey that was controlling her.

"Get out of my head!" The real Misty's voice spoke as she was trying to fight for control.

"That's it Misty! You can do it! You've got to fight off Giovanni and his Gengars power!" Ash shouted, encouraged his girlfriend.

XXX

In a secret location, Giovanni was getting angry that he was starting to lose control of his mind slave's body. "Come on Gengar! Keep your control!" He hissed.

XXX

Shortly after, her eyes turned back to the same soulless grey as they were the entire battle as Giovanni and Gengar regained control of the red heads body. "Nice try Ketchum, but using the girls Pikachu to try to get your girlfriend back isn't going to work!" Giovanni hissed at the Pallet Town trainer. "Now Kabutops, use aqua jet!"

The prehistoric Pokemon covered itself in a stream of water and shot itself straight towards the female Pikachu. Ash knew how to counter it. "Elektra, use iron tail directly on the ground and then use thunderbolt!"

The female yellow mouse's tail turned into iron as she smacked it onto the floor to jump in the air, dodging the stream of water. Once in midair, Elektra unleashed her super effective electric attack onto the pre historic Pokemon, causing him to drop to the ground and faint.

XXX

Lance and Surge continued to watch the battle, seeing that Ash got through to Misty for a few moments and taking down his Kabutops.

"It looks like he found a way to get through to the actual Misty, but he needs to do it again and in a much bigger way." Lance whispered to himself.

"_Come on kid, he's makin u look like a baby out dere. You godda do sometin." _Surge thought to himself as he didn't want to risk revealing himself and Lance.

XXX

Giovanni was very angry that his host's Pikachu was able to take out his Kabutops so easily. He then made her grin maliciously as he picked up the next pokeball.

"You got lucky by taking out my Kabutops, but that little rat won't take out this Pokemon!" He exclaimed as he threw the pokeball, releasing a very large, brownish-grey bipedal Pokemon covered by orange stones all over its body.

"Rhyperior!" Ash gasped in fear of not only himself, but in fear of Elektra.

The female yellow mouse looked up at the huge monstrous, dinosaur like Pokemon in complete and utter fear. Ash knew that she had no chance against the ground/rock type, so he told her to come back to his side.

"Go Gengar!" Ash exclaimed as he released the Shadow Pokemon. The purple ghost/poison type began to levitate around the battlefield happily as he finally got a chance to battle. Ash had to calm him down and explain the situation. "Calm down Gengar. This is a serious situation." The normally goofy ghost looked across the battlefield and saw who the opponent was and was confused about the situation. "That's not really Misty." He began to explain. "Her mind is being controlled and I need you to help me save her." He immediately grew serious as he was seriously ready to battle.

"It doesn't matter who you send out against me, you won't defeat me or save her!" The mind puppet shouted cockily at them. "Now use earthquake!"

Ash knew that his Pokemon couldn't get hurt from the move, but why was he calling that move? His thoughts were interrupted as the plain battlefield began to shake violently once again. The Pallet Town trainer realized that Giovanni wanted to hurt him and the two Pikachu, so he quickly picked them up and as soon as he did, he fell over and began to wince in pain.

Inside the controlled body, the real Misty once again was able to break free and her eyes once again turned back to her normal color. This time, she had enough time to recognize what was going on. "Ash! What's going on?!" That was all she was able to say before she lost control of herself again.

"Pikachu, Elektra, are you both alright?" Ash asked, looking down at the two electric mice. He then turned his attention back to the battle. "Gengar use energy ball and don't stop until you take him down!"

"Counter it with rock blast Rhyperior!" Giovanni countered hissing.

Ash put Gengar through some special training because he was going to use the ghost/poison type against Paul in his match that was a few hours ago. The Shadow Pokemon began to charge up the first green ball of energy while floating around the entire battlefield. By the time he launched it, the gargantuan Drill Pokemon unleashed his attack and the giant boulder and energy ball collided in the middle and exploded. Once again the two Pokemon charged up and launched their attacks and once again, they collided. But on the third time, Gengar was able to charge up a lot faster than his opponent and was able to launch it and hit its target. Rhyperior stumbled back after taking the attack and after taking the first attack, was met with five more equally powerful balls of green energy.

But even after taking all that damage, he was still standing. The Drill Pokemon may have not been in any more condition to fight, he was shocked that it was still standing.

Giovanni didn't care though as he wanted to win the battle at all costs. "Take him out with rock wrecker!"

The Pallet Town had seen that attack once before against Barry's Rhyperior and he knew that he couldn't let him get the attack off. He came up with an idea on how to stop the attack. "Use psychic!"

While the gargantuan ground/rock type charged up for the powerful attack, the Shadow Pokemon focused itself mentally onto the actual boulder forming between Rhyperior's claws. When the Drill Pokemon threw the monstrous boulder towards the ghost, he used the psychic powers to throw it right back at the user. Although it did little damage to the gigantic dinosaur like Pokemon, it did enough to daze and tire him out.

Now was Ash's chance to finish this round. "Finish this with shadow ball!" This time the Shadow Pokemon formed a large dark and purple sphere between its arms and launched it at the towering opponent. Once the shadow ball made contact with the Drill Pokemon, he fell flat onto its stomach and showed signs that it could not continue battling.

"Once again, I'm very impressed with you." Giovanni complimented the black haired trainer. "But the longer you keep this battle going, the more memory Misty loses." He hissed at him, knowing he had the upper hand. "If you don't do either beat me or surrender and tell me what I want to know, you'll lose her forever!" He exclaimed giving the mind puppet the most crooked smile he had ever seen on a human being.

After his little rant, he released another tough and powerful Pokemon: Salamence. The Dragon Pokemon soared across the battlefield within the closed arena.

"Use dragonbreath!" The Hoenn Pseudo-legendary Pokemon inhaled a large amount of oxygen and then exhaled a green stream of air directly at the ghost and hitting its mark. The after effects of the attack left Gengar in trouble as it became paralyzed due to one of the effects. "Good now use draco meteor!"

"Gengar you gotta fade out and dodge!" As the dragon/flying type unleashed an orange ball directly up into the air, Ash was hoping that the paralysis wouldn't kick in, but he was unlucky and it did, leaving the Shadow Pokemon a sitting Psyduck for the very powerful attack. Once the meteor reached its highest altitude, it broke into many more meteors aiming right at its target and all Ash could do was hope that it was strong enough to take the hit.

As the attack ended, Gengar was barely hovering over the ground, but was willing to continue battling. Giovanni wanted to end this battle now and get it over with. "Now finish this battle with zen headbutt!"

The Dragon Pokemon lowered its altitude so it could line up with its adversary, giving Ash the opening he needed.

"Wait until my command Gengar! Then you know what to do!" That was all the ghost/poison type needed to hear as the Dragon was rushing in towards his opponent.

"Wait…" Salamence was 50 feet to begin and closing in. "Not yet…" 25 feet, he was getting anxious, but he knew he couldn't call it too early, otherwise he would screw up his only opportunity to win. "Now!" As the Dragon was now 10 feet away, Gengar obeyed to Ash's order and then Salamence hit it head on, causing Gengar to faint.

"You're such a fool!" Giovanni laughed at his opponent. "You only have two Pokemon left and there's…" He was interrupted by what he saw on the field. Shadows of Gengar's eyes were floating towards the unsuspecting Dragon. Once they made contact, Salamence immediately grew weak and collapsed and landed onto the floor, fainting as well. "What?!" He yelled in utter shock. "How did you defeat my Salamence so quickly?!"

"It's a move I'd like to call destiny bond." Ash replied plainly trying to keep his composure. Even though he kept his cool for most of the battle, he felt like he was going to explode very soon, especially if he didn't save Misty.

Each trainer returned their fainted Pokemon, Ash praising his while Giovanni cussed under his breath. Ash motioned for Elektra to get back into the battle, hoping causing the real Misty to break the Gengar's control. Unfortunately, Giovanni's Gengar let no such thing happened.

"You've made it pretty far with me Ketchum and I give you credit, but this is where you're world crumbles!" He exclaimed evilly as he made the Misty mind puppet throw the poke ball. Rain clouds formed within the arena and it began to poor. What came out of the rain clouds left Ash in complete shock. The same went for Elektra and Pikachu.

XXX

Still keeping a close eye on the battle, Lance and Lieutenant Surge were as shock as Ash, if not more. Now was the time for them to put their plan into action.

XXX

Outside were the Sinnoh and Hoenn champions along with the rest of the rescue party. Cynthia got everyone to calm down as she needed to listen to what the Kanto and Johto champion was trying to say.

"Send them in now! Giovanni just released a Kyogre and we need to get them both out now!" Lance shouted loud enough through the communicator for everyone to leave Cynthia temporarily deaf and for everyone to hear.

"Kyogre?!" Everyone asked in much shock as Lance was.

"Be quiet!" The Hoenn champion demanded from the crowd of elite trainer.

"Okay, we're on the move now!" Cynthia responded through the communicator. She then turned her attention to the group of trainers. "Let's get going now and execute the plan!"

Everyone nodded and began to run as the two champions led the group towards the hideout.

XXX

The Sea Basin Pokemon revealed itself from the clouds it was hiding in. Its roar intimidated every soul who was present in the room, especially Ash, Pikachu, and Elektra. The Pallet Town trainer had to quickly regain his cool and keep focus on the battle.

"Alright Elektra, use-"

"Use hydro pump!" Ash was interrupted by Giovanni, who wouldn't let him dare get the first move on his legendary Pokemon as the Hoenn legendary shot off a powerful stream at the electric mouse, sending it flying across the battlefield and land on the double force field, causing her to faint as she hit the ground.

"Oh no Elektra!" Ash exclaimed in complete worry for the Pokemons well-being. He picked her up and placed her next to his Pikachu and whispered to her "It's gonna be okay. I'll get Misty back."

From Ash's point of view, it looked like Misty froze as the possessed body was staring at her Pikachu, who was scuffed and bruised because of the one hydro pump attack. He also observed her eyes to see if they were changing colors again like the last time she fought off the mind control and they weren't.

Inside her mind, Misty was still battling for the control after seeing what Giovanni did to her Elektra. She thought she broke free for a moment, but the evil powers of Giovanni's Gengar quickly took her over once again, but she kept pushing and pushing.

Even though he couldn't see it physically, he knew that she was fighting the control. "Come on Misty! I know you can do it!" Then an idea hit him. He reached into his left pocket and realized that he had her necklace he bought her after their one month anniversary. So he began to walk on the sidelines of the battlefield towards his taken over girlfriend. For that moment, Giovanni gained back control of the body and hissed "What are you doing?!"

"I'm saving my girlfriend!" Ash responded to the Rocket boss. As soon as he replied, he put on the sapphire necklace he bought her around her neck. He then placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her colorless eyes and tried to encourage her to keep fighting. "Come on Misty! I know you're in there. Remember this necklace? I bought it for you on our one month anniversary and you loved it."

He then looked up at the Gengar and it looked like that it was going to attack Ash so he had to get outta there quickly. Once he got outta there, he saw that Misty was still motionless. He was hoping it was because that she was fighting for her life. She then began to move around, still seeing that Kyogre was still on her side of the field. He made her smile maliciously. "That was a nice try Ketchum, but now we're at the point that she's completely lost her mind, body, and soul!"

Ash stared at Misty's taken over body and couldn't help to think that Giovanni could be right. He may have missed the chance to save his girlfriend. As he began to lose hope, he looked down and felt one of the poke balls on his belt. It was the one and only Pokemon that could win this battle, take down Giovanni for good, and most importantly, save Misty. He looked up at Giovanni with an evil glare.

"Giovanni," Ash began to shout as he picked up the poke ball and held it in front of him to show the Rocket head honcho. "This Pokemon will win me this battle, defeat you, and save Misty!"

Giovanni made the female mind puppet glare at the Pallet Town trainer. "What are you talking about?! What Pokemon could you possibly have in that poke ball that can defeat my legendary Pokemon?!"

Ash was speechless as he tossed the red and white capsule, releasing the Happiness Pokemon Togetic.

XXX

In his office, he watched the turn of events take place in front of him and began to laugh evilly, thinking that it was some funny joke. "How can he defeat my Kyogre with a little Togetic?! Kyogre destroy that Togetic with ice beam!"

XXX

Although Giovanni made the command, nothing happened on the field. It was because the power of Misty's will was beginning to truly shine and began to destroy the Gengar's evil mind controlling power. They were going back and forth, both sides struggling. It was visible that she was in pain as she was suffering from a chronic headache, still trying to fight off the mind control.

"Get out of my head!" Misty screamed in complete pain gritting her teeth.

"Come on Misty! You can do it! Fight off Giovanni and his powers!" Ash screamed across the battlefield, encouraging his girlfriend to fighting him off.

XXX

"Everyone remembers what to do now correct?" Cynthia asked the large group of trainers. Everyone nodded and agreed, knowing who would do what and at what time. "Alright Barry, you start."

The Twinleaf Town trainer nodded, knowing what his assignment was. "Empoleon I choose you!" The water/steel penguin came out of its spherical home, ready to obey his master's command. "Now use hyper beam to knock down the doors!" The Emperor Pokemon charged up his attack in his beak and unleashed the powerful beam of raw energy at the door, instantly destroying them.

"Now everyone!" Steven exclaimed, releasing his Metagross and Skarmory.

XXX

As Misty continued to fight off the evil powers of the Gengar controlling it, they saw the front door explode of its hinges and out of nowhere a bunch of Pokemon fly in with their trainers. It turned into a hell bent war zone because Rocket agents were all over them. Ash was relieved because it was a rescue squad consisting of all of Ash's friends and acquaintances.

"Gastrodon and Glaceon, use ice beam to hold off the Rocket agents. Garchomp use brick break on the force field!" The Sinnoh Champion ordered.

The next figure that made a command surprised Ash the most. "Electivire use brick break!" It was Paul's voice.

"Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, and Machamp, use brick break!" Bruno ordered his three Pokemon.

"Raichu, give dat shield a brick break dey'll never forget!" The voice came from the second level of the building, but he was wearing a rocket uniform. Once he removed it, Ash saw that it was Lieutenant Surge.

Meanwhile, friends like Gary, May, Dawn, Brock, and Max along with their other friends there were holding off the rocket agents from attacking the Pokemon that needed to break the force field. The force field was more powerful than everyone expected and had to keep using brick break, while Tobias had his Darkrai use dark pulse on the Alakazam creating the force field along with Paul's Honchkrow and Gary's Umbreon helping out.

Thanks to the three dark type Pokemon along with all the brick breaks, they were able to destroy the force field. But this caused a whole new problem: an enraged Kyogre.

XXX

Now it was Lance's time to step in. "Dragonite we need your help!" He exclaimed as the Dragon Pokemon was released and was ready for battle. "Use hyper beam on that Kyogre!"

"Druddigon use dragon tail and Haxorus use giga impact!" Drayden ordered as he released his two dragon type Pokemon. As soon as they came out to the battle, they went right into action.

"Dragonite, get in close and use thunderpunch and Haxorus use dragon pulse!" Iris ordered as she repeated the same actions as her mentor.

"Great job Garchomp! Now I need you to help out against that Kyogre!" Cynthia ordered her most powerful Pokemon. Her most powerful Pokemon obliged as she covered herself in a blue aura and rushed into the battle with the other dragon type Pokemon.

XXX

"Tobias, Paul, and Gary," Steven called to the three trainers. They turned around to the origin of the voice. "Use your Pokemon to defeat the Gengar that's controlling Misty!"

They nodded as they turned towards the Gengar that was controlling Misty on the battlefield. Tobias, Gary, and Paul saw that Ash was too busy dodging the attacks and protecting Pikachu, Elektra, and Togetic. They also saw that she was still struggling to break free from the control, so now was the opportunity for them to strike.

"Darkrai use dark pulse!"

"Umbreon use dark pulse as well!"

"You too Honchkrow!"

After hearing the orders from the three trainers, each Pokemon shot streaks of dark and purple energy towards the Shadow Pokemon that was too busy using its powers to control Misty. Not being able to do anything, Gengar took the hit and flew back towards the wall, causing it to faint. The after effect of the attacks didn't end up so well for the red headed trainer. The attack left her with a bunch of deep cuts and bruises all over her body and was instantly knocked out after how hard she landed on the ground.

Ash witnessed everything that happened to his girlfriend. He had to return Misty's Togetic and carry Elektra to try to take care of her. Out of nowhere, Officer Jenny came next to the Pallet Town trainer ready to get outta here.

"Come on Ash, I need your help in carrying her outta here!" Jenny yelled over the commotion.

He simply nodded as he put his left arm around her waist and the police officer put her right arm around to help support and carry her to safety.

XXX

After witnessing the events that just took place, Giovanni began to steam with anger. He wanted to blow up the building with a simple push of a button he installed, but he knew it would leave too much of a trail directly to him.

"Attention all Rocket agents, you better not let these people escape! Otherwise you'll suffer the consequences!" He announced over the buildings PA system.

As Giovanni was about to announce something else, he saw that Domino barged into the room without his permission. He gave her a death glare as to wondering why she did that.

"Sir, we have to get outta here now!" She exclaimed. "The buildings going to get destroyed because of all the damage its taking!"

He decided to hold in his anger for a quick moment. "Fine, get the chopper ready."

XXX

Ash and Officer Jenny got his unconscious girlfriend out of the building. They continued to carry her towards her vehicle. "Let's go Ash, we need to get her to the hospital and fast!"

"What about everyone else?!" The black haired trainer asked the police officer, wanting to help them out too.

"They can handle themselves. Misty needs your attention now more than ever." She told him as she buckled herself up in the driver's seat. Ash decided that he needed to stay in the back seat with the unconscious body of his girlfriend. Officer Jenny saw that he was ready and put the petal to the medal and drove at a crazy rate, needing to get there as soon as possible.

XXX

"Everyone fall back! We completed the mission!" Cynthia announced as loud as possible. Fortunately and unfortunately, everyone in the building heard her, even the Rocket agents.

"It looks like we're not leaving without a fight." Steven said out loud.

"That's right buddy boy!" One grunt out of two said blocking the entrance.

"We don't care who you are, you aint gettin outta here alive!" The second grunt threatened the champions.

Iris was still helping out Drayden and Lance calming down Kyogre. She saw that they needed to get outta there and came up with an idea. "Haxorus fall back and use giga impact on the guards blocking the door!"

The Axe Jaw Pokemon ceased its battle from the Hoenn legendary and launched itself at the two guards, engulfing itself in a purple shield with orange streaks. Haxorus made enough of an impact on the guards to only knock them out of the way of the door, allowing the Hoenn and Sinnoh Champions to escape with everyone else behind.

Eventually, the three dragon type trainers were able to contain the Sea Basin Pokemon and were able to escape the building. Everyone met each other outside to see if everyone was okay and present.

"It seems we're missing Ash, Misty, and Officer Jenny." Cynthia said out loud.

"Well they should be on their way towards the hospital." Steven replied to the Sinnoh champion.

They were interrupted by the sound of a helicopter flying in the air. And unfortunately for them, they saw the head of Team Rocket on that helicopter flying away, missing the chance to capture him. Giovanni looked back towards the group of people and thought with a malicious smile _"You may have won this round, but you haven't seen what I'm truly capable of." _

"It's alright," Lance spoke out loud, after a brief moment of silence. "We still have all the Intel from those three ex Rocket agents."

"We should get to the hospital and see how they're doing." Cynthia suggested to the entire group.

Everyone wordlessly nodded their heads in agreement as they all walked away from the abandoned warehouse and made their way towards the hospital. They were all hoping that Ash and Misty were okay, especially their friends. Even though he didn't want to, Paul forced himself to go to the hospital, remembering that he should listen to his self-conscious.

XXX

A/N-Finally that's chapter 38! This was a long chapter and probably the most difficult chapter for me to write. I know I ask for reviews every week, but I really need them for this one because as I said before, it was difficult to write. A lot happened this chapter, but the next chapter will be a bit boring action wise.

Will Misty be okay? Will they make it on time? Will Paul admit what happened to Ash? What will happen to Ash? You have to wait and see next time!


	40. Chapter 39- The Truth is Revealed!

There's nothing much to say about this chapter except that it's pretty low key, but it's kinda necessary. But I know you'll enjoy it (maybe, maybe not). Without further ado, here's chapter 39!

Chapter 39- The Truth is Revealed!

After driving at what seemed like a million miles an hour, Officer Jenny finally stopped the car in front of the ER entrance. Ash rushed out of the car while carrying Misty on his back with the officer right behind him, slowly catching up to him. They ran towards the doors as they began to open with doctors waiting for them.

"Where's the ambulance mam?!" The male doctor shouted at the trainer and the officer.

"We don't have one! You need to take her right now!" Jenny yelled at the doctor.

Despite that he wanted to yell back, he saw the unconscious red head on the black haired trainers back and she looked terrible. So he ceased the argument with the officer and ordered the nurses to get a bed.

Once they got a bed for her, Ash helped them lay her down and they all began to run towards the emergency room. The doctors and nurses ran through the doors and the officer held back Ash, letting him know that he wasn't allowed to enter.

"It's all in their hands now Ash." She told him, trying to comfort the on edge trainer.

"_This is going to be a long day." _Ash thought as he began to stare at the lit up rectangular ER light.

XXX

The doctors and nurses were rushing in the ER and stopped at the necessary station. They had to remove what was remaining of her Team Rocket outfit to see if she had any broken bones. Once they removed the clothes, they didn't like what they saw. The red head had huge, gaping scars, patches of blood, and deep bruises all over her body.

The nurses began to clean and bandage her up as the head doctor began to lead all the other doctors on what they needed to do.

"I need you two to do the psychological tests first to see where she is," He ordered, pointing at a male and a female doctor. "And I need you two to check to see if she has any broken bones!" He pointed at another pair of doctors. He then turned to the team of nurses who were in the room to see if they did their job. "Did you guys clean her up and hook her up?!"

"Yes doctor." The female nurse answered right away.

"What does her heart rate look like right now?"

"It's there, but it's very faint." The male nurse answered the head doctor.

"Okay, we need to make sure she stays alive by any means necessary!" He shouted across the entire room.

"Doctor she's gone into a coma!" The male nurse panicked.

The head doctor gave a deep sigh as he felt helpless as he knew he couldn't do anything to help or save her at the moment. "Alright, send her to a room. I'll inform the patients."

XXX

_In the mind of the comatose red head, she woke up in a realm of darkness. She quickly studied the environment around her, realizing that she was stuck in a world of pure blackness. Not knowing exactly where she was, she began to venture around to see if she could find anything. After a few minutes, she didn't find anything. There was one thing that she could do. _

"_Hello, Where am I?! Is anybody there?!" Misty yelled hesitantly, hoping to get an answer somewhere. _

_Seemingly appearing out of thin air, three doors appeared in front of her. Each door was numbered from one to three. She studied each of the doors, questioning mentally where they would lead to. _

"_I might as well go through the first door and see where it leads too." The red head said out loud, sounding hesitant as she slowly turned the knob of the first door. As she did, a bright light consumed the room and her mind._

XXX

Ash kept staring at the lit up ER sign, hoping that the medical team would be done soon and have good news for them. Officer Jenny sat next to him, rubbing his right shoulder telling him that she was going to be okay. Although he appreciated the support, he still had no idea what the outcome would be.

The ER light turned off as the head doctor walked out of the room to inform them of the news.

Ash couldn't contain his nerves anymore as he walked up to him and grabbed his collar and asked "Where's Misty?! Is she gonna be okay?!"

"Ash, you gotta calm down." Jenny reasoned with the stressed out trainer. "I'm sorry about that." She apologized to the doctor.

"That's quite alright. I understand." The doctor easily forgave him as he fixed up his collared shirt. He was now really hesitant to tell what had happened to the Pallet Town trainer's girlfriend. Knowing that he had to, he said "Unfortunately, she fell into a coma."

The black haired trainer fell into complete silence. He was even more nervous than before about her life. "Where is she?"

"We have her in room 135. We're still running some tests on her, but I'll guide you to her room." The doctor informed the worried trainer and the officer.

"Thank you." Ash mumbled loud enough for them to hear.

The doctor began to lead the two visitors towards the room where she was located. As they walked down the hallways of the hospital, Ash's thoughts were piling up, all of them being negative. When they reached the entrance of the room, his nerves shot up tremendously like when his girlfriend gets angry.

"This is where she is." The doctor quietly said as he opened the door first and walked into the room.

This was the moment that Ash was dreading to see. He saw his girlfriend was lying on the hospital bed in a coma. She looked as soulless as when Giovanni was controlling her. If Ash could take one positive thing about seeing Misty like this, is that he saw that they cleaned up her bruises, scars, and cuts.

Other than that, it was killing him to see her like this. Not just him, but also Pikachu and Elektra. The Pallet Town trainer saw the looks on the electric mice faces and it was killing him to see them like this as well.

Ash was completely silent as he grabbed a chair in the room and dragged it up right next to the hospital bed where Misty was in comatose. He then sat down and held her right hand gently, interlocking his left hand inside and placing his right hand over hers. He also closed his eyes as he prayed to Arceus and Mew that the love of his life was okay.

Pikachu jumped onto the bed and curled up into a ball on the right side of Misty's head, while Elektra took the left side.

"I'll be right back Ash," Officer Jenny interrupted Ash's prayer. "I've gotta make some phone calls. And then I need you to give a statement for the report."

He didn't focus any of his attention towards the officer at all. All he wanted to do was just sit with Misty until she woke up, even if it took forever.

XXX

_As the light cleared, she found herself in a very familiar place. She was back at her home in the Cerulean City Gym. Misty began to question what was going on._

"_What's going on? Where am I?" The red head asked out loud. _

_Her question was answered right away as she saw a family walk into the living room. There was a tall, relatively young man with blonde hair, a woman who looked very identical to Misty herself, and four little girls, three of them being the same age, about seven, and the other one being about 12 months, who was in her mother's arms._

_Misty was in complete shock as she recognized each of the little girls. She knew that the three older girls being her older sisters and the baby being herself. _

"_Wow, I can't believe it. These are my parents before they died." Was all that was able to escape her lips, not loud enough for the family to hear her. Even though this was a vision, she didn't know if they could hear her or not, so she decided to keep her voice down. _

"_What movies do you girls wanna watch tonight?" The blonde haired gentleman being Misty's father asked his family._

"_Let's watch The Cerulean Princess!" The young girl with blonde hair shouted. Misty quickly figured out that it was Daisy._

"_No! Let's watch Luvdiscs in Love!" The blue haired girl exclaimed, again figuring out who was Violet. _

"_We just watched that last weekend!" A pink haired girl shouted, belonging towards Lily. "I wanna watch The Togepi Princess!"_

"_Oh well, look at the time," The orange haired older woman spoke up, realizing it was her own mother. "You girls need to get to bed, especially you little Misty! Yes you do, yes you do!" The woman cooed the little baby. _

"_It is late, time for us to go to bed." Misty's father said with an agreeing tone with his wife. _

"_Aw man!" The young Daisy replied unhappily._

"_No fair!" Lily replied in the same tone as her sister._

"_Why?! It's only nine o'clock!" Violet whined at her parents._

"_Well, Misty's getting a little tired. So we need to get her to sleep." Misty's mother reasoned with her three older daughters._

"_Fine." The three girls gave up and went upstairs to get ready for bed._

_Meanwhile, their mother and father got close to each other and began to hug while the mother was still holding the baby Misty. They looked each other lovingly before they moved in and gave each other a kiss._

"_I love you so much William."_

"_I love you too Mary Jane," William whispered seductively in his wife's ear. "You and my baby girls are my world."_

_As soon as they were going to go into another kissed, baby Misty began to make noise wanting attention from her parents. They both looked down at their youngest daughter lovingly. _

"_Oh, how could we forget about you little Misty?!" Mary Jane cooed at the little baby._

"_You know, she looks exactly like you sweetheart." William complimented his wife._

"_You know what," She began to think about her husband's observation. "I think you're right." _

"_I want you to remember this little Mist," Mary Jane began, then looked towards her husband to finish._

"_That we'll always love you no matter what." William cooed at the baby, tickling her cheek causing her to giggle. _

_As the 19 year old Misty watched the whole thing, she couldn't help but tear up and hold in a very emotional cry. She didn't remember much about her parents and this was the only thing that she remembers about them. She'd always treasure this moment and to get to see it again, she let some tears fall down her face as she watched her parents put her younger self to bed. _

_As soon as she finished, another bright light shined across the entire room. and once again, leading her to the realm of darkness. The only difference was that the first door was gone. She then looked at the second door and walk towards it. _

"_So these doors hold memories of my parents?" She observed after she experienced the first events. "I wonder what memory this door holds." She pondered as she began to turn the knob on the door that was labeled "2". _

XXX

The Pallet Town trainer stayed up all night just staring at his comatose girlfriend caressing her hand and mumbling things to her. You could definitely tell he'd been up all night because his eyes were constantly opening and closing with him forcing them open the entire night. Seemingly out of nowhere, there was a knock on the door and then they opened the door. The last thing that Ash wanted was visitors, but when Ash turned around, he saw the doctor and had no choice but to let him do his job.

"Sorry Ash, but I need to-"He stopped himself as he observed Ash's condition. "Ash, you look terrible. You need sleep."

"But what if-"

"No buts," The doctor interrupted him. "You need to get some sleep."

"No doctor!" Ash shouted at the top of his lungs.

Their argument ceased when they heard a knock on the door. The first person to come in was Officer Jenny and following behind her was a large group of people including the Kanto and Johto Champion Lance, the Hoenn Champion Steven, the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, the Unova Champion Alder, Ash's friends Brock, Tracey, Misty's older sisters, May, Max, Gary, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Ritchie, Barry, Cameron, and other figures including Drayden and Tobias. But the biggest surprise was that Paul showed up, even though he looked even shyer than before as he was in the way back with his hands in his pockets and his head down looking at the ground. Luckily for him, Ash didn't notice him right away.

"Hey there everyone." Ash greeted with a surprised look on his face, with his mood slightly improving given that he used a different tone that he used on the doctor, which seemed to irk him to no end.

"Surprised to see us Ash?" The Sinnoh Champion asked the black haired trainer.

"Yeah actually," he answered truthfully. "What are you all doing here?" As he asked, both Pikachu and Elektra jumped onto each of his shoulders sharing the same look as the trainer.

"What the hell do you think?! We're here to support you!" May yelled angrily at her best friend.

"Yeah Ash," Dawn continued, agreeing with May. "I'm still surprised that you can still be so dense!"

"Guys, let's not yell at him now." Brock said to the two angry girls. He then turned towards the Pallet Town trainer. "Ash, are you okay?" The Pokemon Doctor asked his long time best friend.

"Honestly, no." He admitted to everyone in the room. "I just wanna be alone with Misty."

"Well, that is not gonna happen!" Iris shouted, momentarily scaring everyone in the room. After she sheepishly apologized, she continued. "Look Ash, the last thing you need to be is alone. We're here to help you Ash and make you feel better!"

"Come on Ash; let us turn your sour behavior into something sweet!" Cilan exclaimed, trying to cheer his friend up.

Ash couldn't help but smile because he always loved the way Cilan incorporated food related things as he talked. He also was thankful for the support that his best friends were giving him. He was so glad at this moment that he had met so many great people during his travels. So during the moment, he decided that everyone could stay in the room.

The Pallet Town trainer's mood began to rise as he began to mingle with everyone in the room. He first started with the last two people to cheer him up.

"Hey Iris and Cilan," Ash greeted his Unova traveling companions. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were here to cheer you on against that Paul guy and then all of the sudden we were helping everyone rescue Misty." Iris informed the Pallet Town trainer.

"It was certainly a way to spice up this adventure." Cilan gave his view on the whole situation.

"I guess…" Ash replied in a saddened tone for the umpteenth time within 24 hours.

"Ash, she's going to be okay. I may not have known her as long as you and Brock, but she's a strong person. She'll make it through." Iris placed her hands on Ash's shoulders encouraging her former traveling partner.

And again, Ash began to smile. He'd been on an emotional roller coaster these last 24 hours. From Giovanni using his girlfriend to battle him, to seeing her battered and bruised, and rushing her to the hospital, he had no idea what to think and how to feel. But he felt so much better having great support from his friends.

"Thanks Iris," He thanked the dragon master in training. "So what's new with you guys?" He decided to change the subject.

Both Iris and Cilan grew a faint blush across their faces as they were kind of shy about revealing their new born relationship. So another familiar face decided to pop into the conversation and informed the finalist about it.

"You see Ash," Drayden barged into the Unova trio's conversation. "Iris and Cilan are now dating." He informed him with a smile on his face.

"Drayden!" Iris exclaimed of embarrassment at her mentor. "We were just about to tell him about that!"

"Sure you were." The Opelucid Academy head said, giving her a sly look.

While Iris's face turned completely red, Cilan had been silent the entire time with his face the same color as his girlfriends, both feeling the embarrassment of being told about their relationship.

"That's awesome! There's nothing to be embarrassed about! I think that's awesome!" Ash exclaimed for the first time today, feeling happy that they were testing the bounds of their new relationship. "When did you guys start dating?"

"Ever since we got back to Unova after we saw your gym battle with Lieutenant Surge." Cilan informed Ash, feeling a little more comfortable telling about their relationship.

"Iris, don't you have something else to tell him?" The older man asked the young dragon master in training.

"Oh yeah," Iris instantly remembered what he was talking about. "I'm the new Opelucid City Gym Leader!"

"Really?! Congrats again Iris!" Ash congratulated the Village of Dragons native.

"Thanks Ash."

"Well, I guess I'm gonna keep talking to everyone." He said, ending their conversation as he walked away.

"Talk to ya later Ash." Cilan said as he walked away.

XXX

_After the second bright light ceased, she was standing just outside of Cerulean City. It was a cold, dark, cloudy, rainy night. The winds were more rapid than a Pidgeot's whirlwind attack. Misty saw a minivan driving towards the city. The older red head was able to quickly transport inside the vehicle and she couldn't be more shocked on who was in it. _

_It was the Waterflower family. She wasn't able to recall this memory, but from what she analyzed, it looked like this was not too far in the future from her last memory. Misty saw that her dad was driving the vehicle with her mom in the passenger seat, her three older sisters in the first row of back seats sleeping and the baby Misty in the last back row sleeping in her baby seat. The red head heard her parents talking about something._

"_Did you have fun sweetie?" William asked his red headed wife. _

"_Yes, it was a blast!" Mary Jane exclaimed quietly to not wake up her four daughters. "That was the best vacation I had in years."_

_Misty couldn't believe what she heard. She definitely thought that she would be able to remember something as big as a vacation, even though she was two. Thinking about it, she blamed her sisters for not telling her. _

_After getting mad at her sisters, she went back to listening to their conversation as they were just passed the "Welcome to Cerulean City" sign._

"_I'm glad you had fun. We should go to Hoenn more often." William suggested._

"_William, look out!" Misty's mother shrieked out of nowhere as she looked at the road._

_Misty's father wasn't paying attention to the road ahead as the winds knocked over two large trees that was very close to them and landed right onto the windshield. After the impact from the tree, both airbags popped out and hit their heads hard. The older Misty couldn't believe that that they were in a car crash. Misty wasn't a doctor, but she expected the worst and guessed that they died on impact. _

_Daisy, Violet, and Lily were woken abruptly as they heard the impact. Baby Misty was a heavy sleeper for her age and slept through the whole thing. Luckily, they were all okay, but the same didn't happen for their parents. _

"_Mommy, Daddy!" All three girls shrieked. They were completely scared and had no idea what to do. But luckily, people in the city heard the crash and were able to help out. They were able to call 911 and the police and ambulance were able to arrive to the scene quickly. _

_As the older Misty watched what was unfolding right before her eyes, she began to cry uncontrollably. Luckily because that she was only watching a memory, no one could hear her outburst into tears. _

_Once the ambulances got her parents in, she was transported to the hospital with them and once they arrived, she learned that she was correct earlier and that they died on impact. After hearing the news, all the girls cried that night and stayed over at a relative's who live in Cerulean._

_And soon after, the memory disappeared and turned back into pure blackness where she started in the beginning as she was still crying over their death. But the one thing that stood out to her was the last door. It was standing a few feet in front of her. She was scared because she didn't know what would happen when she opened it. But she sucked it up and opened the door, not knowing what would appear._

XXX

After talking to Cilan and Iris, Ash had a good rest of the day after talking to Cilan and Iris. He mostly talked to his closest friends and old rivals with the exception of Paul because he didn't see him. The Pallet Town trainer was thankful to them that they gave their best wishes towards him and Misty.

After everyone left, Ash, Pikachu, and Elektra took their spots and stood up all night, hoping that she would wake up soon. He held her right hand and interlocked their fingers together, just like he did the first night. He began to talk to his comatose girlfriend and told her that everyone's hoping that she would get better and wake up soon.

His eye lids began to fall over his eyes as he fought the urge to sleep. All he wanted to do was watch his girlfriend and encourage her to wake up, even though he couldn't do anything about it. But his tiring urges took over the best of him as Ash laid his head on his girlfriend's stomach and began to sleep.

XXX

_After she went through the door, the whole place turned to white. She began to look around for where she could travel. The red headed trainer began to walk straight ahead into white nothingness. Seemingly out of thin air, a black brick road appeared right in front of her. She didn't know whether to follow it or not, but she did anyway. As she walked on the brick road, Misty began to see two shadows in the distance. _

_Misty sprinted towards the two shadows and as she kept getting closer and closer, they began to become familiar to her. Once she got close enough, she was able to recognize who the two figures were and was in complete shock and awe. The male was significantly taller than her and the woman as he had blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing an all white suit, while the mother looked a lot like Misty as she had red hair, the same aqua marine colored eyes, and was about an inch shorter than Misty wearing an all white dress. _

"_Hello Misty." The young gentleman greeted her._

"_You look absolutely stunning Misty." The young woman who looked like her greeted her as well. _

"_Mommy… Daddy…" Were the only words that could escape Misty's mouth as she moved in closer to her parents and hugged the both of them. Her parents looked down at their crying 19 year old daughter and began to beam with pride. _

"_It's okay sweetie." William whispered to her daughter as he rubbed her back comforting her. Misty broke out of their embrace and stared at her parents. She still couldn't believe that they were so young when they died. Once she got a good look at her mother, she instantly that they looked identical. _

"_You look exactly like me when I was your age darling." Her mother complimented the young woman._

"_I can't believe that you guys are here!" She happily exclaimed._

"_And I can't believe that you've grown up to be such a young, beautiful, responsible woman." Her father complimented his daughter. _

"_Wait," She began. "You guys are watching over me?" She asked with a very confused tone._

"_Of course we are!" Mary Jane exclaimed happily. "And we know about your little boyfriend! His name's Ash right?" She once again exclaimed in the same tone._

_Misty began to blush as she slowly nodded. She didn't know whether to be embarrassed or scared to hear what they thought of him. Then her dad gave his opinion. "He's one hell of a guy. I hope you end up marrying him."_

"_Really?" Misty couldn't believe what he just said._

"_Of course we do!" She exclaimed. "He's perfect for you. I've known it ever since you started traveling with him."_

"_How do you know mom?" _

"_Let's just say 'mothers instinct' baby girl."_

"_But can I ask you why you are here. And where am I?" Misty asked her parents in a serious tone._

"_Well, we just wanted to tell you that we love you very much. We always have and we always will." Mary Jane said with a warm, assuring smile._

"_As to where you are, you're in a coma." William informed her in a serious tone, which wasn't that big of a surprise to Misty. "But we're also here because we're not going to let you die at this young of age and this way."_

"_I don't remember what happened." Misty admitted to her parents._

"_That'll be Ash's place to tell you." Her mother informed her. _

_All of the sudden, Misty's parents began to fade away right before Misty's eyes. "Where are you going?!"_

"_We're sending you back to the world!" They both screamed before they permanently disappeared. As they vanished, Misty herself began to disappear and found herself traveling to some unknown destination in her mind. _

XXX

The next day, the champions, Officer Jenny, and Paul all saw that Ash was still sleeping soundly on his girlfriend. They all entered the room quietly needing to a report a file for a continued investigation for Giovanni. Jenny already got Paul's information and all they needed was Ash's and they would be good to send a search party.

Cynthia decided to be the one to wake him up. "Ash, you need to wake up. We need to talk to you." She voice soothed at the sleepy trainer.

The Pallet Town trainer groaned as he felt something on his shoulder. He then forced himself to open his eyes, lift his head, and turn his head towards the origin of where the voice came from. Also, the two Pikachu began to stretch and wake up as they heard all the commotion.

"Whoa! What are you guys doing here?" Ash exclaimed in surprise. "And Paul!"

"Ash," Lance began as he moved to the front of the group standing between Paul and Ash. "Paul has something he needs to tell you."

"What is it?"

Paul was very hesitant to tell Ash that this situation was all his fault. The Veilstone City trainer knew that he had to tell Ash; even though that he knew that he was going to get more than angry with him. And possibly even send his Pikachu at him. Hell, Elektra would join in too. But no matter what the consequences would be, he had to tell him and let the champions hear it once more.

"Ash…" Paul began. "It's my fault that your little girlfriend's in a coma." He finished with his usual arrogant tone.

The black haired trainer stared at the purple haired trainer with a confused yet intrigued look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the thing is that during the tournament, I worked for Giovanni as a Team Rocket agent."

The room fell into complete silence as the tension was slowly rising. It became so thick that you could cut it with a butter knife. The Pallet Town trainer's anger began to rise as well. He was so angry that it could rival a Gyarados. His face began to turn red and he gritted his teeth so much that he began to feel like he was losing them. Without even knowing what he was doing, he launched himself right at Paul. The purple haired trainer was lucky that Lance was in the middle of them because he was the one that held Ash back.

"Why Paul?!" He exclaimed while trying to get through the Kanto and Johto Champion. "Why would you do something so stupid like join Team Rocket?!"

"Because _Giovanni_ promised him a chance to defeat you using his Pokemon. He also wanted revenge for the defeat in Sinnoh." Lance explained for Paul.

"Is that true Paul?!" He angrily yelled at the Veilstone City trainer.

"Yes." Was all that Paul could say to Ash, who was still very angry. He was so ashamed that he couldn't even look him in the face.

"I can't believe you Paul! You jerk!"

"That's enough Ash!" The Sinnoh Champion shouted towards him. "He was also one of our leaders in the rescue mission."

This was a complete surprise for Ash. In fact, it surprised him so much that he spaced out.

"_Wow, did he really help them save me and Misty?" _Ash thought as he had an apologetic look on his face.

"Now we have some business we need to talk to the two of you about." Lance said, getting the attention of both trainers.

This caused Ash to snap him out of his thoughts as he was eager to hear what the champions needed to discuss with them. Paul was told that they needed to discuss an important matter with him and Ash, but wasn't told anything else.

Cynthia looked towards Steven for him to explain what was going on. "We have to discuss with you two the matters of the championship battle." This instantly got the attention of both trainers as they looked at the Hoenn champion with their full attention. "We've all talked to Mr. Goodshow and according to him, the Pokemon League Association is losing money every day that there isn't a winner-"

"What does the PLA have to do with us?" Paul interrupted the Hoenn champion.

"It has everything to do with you two," Alder piped up, continuing with what Steven was going to say. "Basically, tonight's the night. Either you have your battle tonight or we'll make Paul the winner of the tournament and his announcement on whether to face one of us or take the money."

"Wait, why can't they declare Ash the champion? Paul committed a federal crime and shouldn't be declared champion." Jenny chimed in.

"According to Mr. Goodshow, since we didn't know that at the time and Ash wasn't there, we either had to delay the battle or declare Paul the winner because he was the one who showed up." Cynthia informed everyone.

"So what will it be you two?" Lance asked both trainers simultaneously.

It didn't take Paul very long to make his decision. "Ash, the only reason I helped them out was because Giovanni screwed me over and I want payback from Sinnoh."

"I'm not battling anyone until Misty wakes up and feels better," Ash quickly responded as well. "I don't care about a stupid battle for a stupid title if Misty isn't there." He finished as he then turned towards the comatose red head.

Everyone in the room was so shocked to hear those words come out of his mouth. This was Ash Ketchum, the trainer who would train for a month without any sleep if it was possible. Pokemon battles were his life and he was so close to achieving his dream of becoming a Pokemon master and Paul thought he was going to throw it away for just some girl.

"Are you sure that's your final decision?" Steven asked the Pallet town trainer.

"I'm su-" He was interrupted by a faint groan behind him. The Pallet Town trainer whipped his head around to see that Misty was starting to wake out of her coma.

The red headed trainer began to slowly wake up. Her eyes were very heavy as she attempted to force them open. All of her senses were beginning to come back to her. She could hear the heart monitor work, Pikachu and Elektra's voices, and her vision, while foggy, began to come back to her as the people who were in the room.

Ash was so overwhelmed that he said nothing as he sprinted next to the bed and softly hugged her and began to cry in her right shoulder.

As she opened her eyes, she realized that Ash was on her crying. Even though she couldn't use her arms right away, she was appreciative that Ash was comforting her. "Thank you Ash." She softly whispered in his ear with a smile on her face.

"I never… wanna lose you again…" He sniffled into Misty as he was still letting tears fall out.

The champions couldn't help but smile to see that Misty was okay and to see that Ash cared about her so much. Paul still held his scowl as he hid his emotions, but deep inside he was glad that she was alright.

"We'll give you more time for your decision." Cynthia calmly said happily.

"What about Mr. Goodshow?" Lance whispered, hissing at the Sinnoh champion.

"I'll take care of him." She replied with the same tone he used on her.

"Let's give them some privacy and tell their friends that she's okay." Steven concluded their mini argument.

"I agree." Alder chimed in. "Come on Jenny and Paul."

The four champions, Paul, and Jenny all walked out of the room and they saw a smaller crowd containing Misty's older sisters, Delia and Professor Oak, who showed up as soon as they heard the bad news on TV, Brock, Tracey, May, Max, Dawn, Gary, Iris, and Cilan. They couldn't wait to tell Ash's friends the great news.

"Misty's out of her coma!" The blonde haired Sinnoh champ was happy telling the group of Ash and Misty's friends and family. They all sighed in relief as they were all happy that she was okay. Everyone was thinking so many things but after hearing the good news, they all felt so relieved. After hearing the news, they all bum rushed the room to see that Ash was softly hugging Misty and the girls couldn't help but coo at the moment.

Ash turned around and saw everyone in the room and he couldn't be any happier. "Wow, I can't believe all you guys made it tonight!"

"Of course sweetie!" Ash's mother sweetly exclaimed. "We came as soon as we saw it on the news!"

"Wait, this is on the news?" The black haired trainer asked his mother.

"Yeah, you guys are the number one thing on the news." May informed her two friends.

"Move over Ash!" Daisy shouted at him with tears falling down her face.

"Yeah, we like, wanna see our baby sister!" Violet shouted as she shoved her boyfriend out of the way and made room for Lily to see the youngest Waterflower sister.

"Hey there baby sister!" Lily exclaimed happily as tears fell down her face as well. "Are you like, okay?!"

The red headed Waterflower sat up and seemed turned back to normal. "Daisy, why did you push my boyfriend?!"

"It seems like she's back to normal." Brock said out loud as everyone in the room sweat dropped as Misty continued to yell at her sisters.

The rest of the night was just everyone catching up with each other and having a fantastic time. Misty told everyone about her experience in her coma and everyone found it so unbelievable, while everyone was catching up with everyone and telling them about their recent accomplishments. The champions and Paul returned into the room, waiting for Ash's answer.

"Do you have an answer for us Mr. Ketchum?" Cynthia asked the tournament finalist.

"Only if Misty is able to go." Ash answered her right away.

"Well, that's up to the doctor." Steven pointed out the obvious. As if on cue, the doctor walked into the room and saw that Misty was out of her coma. The doctor was in complete awe.

"Wow, I can't believe that you're out of your coma already. According to my tests, you weren't supposed to come out of it until next week." The doctor informed everyone in the room.

"When can she leave doctor?" Ash asked him with a complete serious tone.

"I want her out now so I can beat him." Paul arrogantly said out loud, causing Ash and Misty's friends and family glared at the Veilstone City trainer.

"Well, after I run some more tests on her, I'll let you know." He let everyone know.

"It's starting to get late and if we're gonna see your match, I need my sleep." Professor Oak yawned as he began to walk towards the door. "Good night everyone."

"We're starting to get tired too," Ash's mother announced to the room. "Good night Misty, Ash, and everybody else."

Everyone was starting to say their goodbyes as Ash and Misty were getting ready for bed themselves. Misty, of course, stayed in her hospital bed still recovering from waking up from her coma. While Ash sat in his chair that he slept in the last two nights and began to lay on his girlfriend. She began to play with his thick, messy black hair that she loved so much.

"Thank you for being here for me Ash." Misty whispered.

"Of course sweetie," Ash whispered softly, holding in tears as his head was still in his stomach. "I thought I was going to lose you! I missed you. I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Ash. Good night."

"Good night Mist."

After their sweet mumblings, they both drifted into sleep world, knowing that they would be there for each other.

The next morning, the doctor ran a variety of tests on the red headed trainer including vision, memory, and physical tests. After a long morning of tests, the doctor walked in with news.

"She's free to go Ash." The doctor informed the couple with a smile on his face.

"That's awesome," Ash exclaimed very loudly. "That means you can watch my battle live!"

"And I can help you pick out your team." Misty added.

"Any help from you, Brock, and everyone else is welcomed by me." Ash replied.

The Pallet Town trainer left the Cerulean City gym leader alone for a few moments to get changed and ready to leave the hospital. After Ash stepped outside of her room, he ran into the Lance and Cynthia.

"Is she okay to leave today?" Lance asked in a serious tone.

"Yes she can leave today and it's fantastic!" Ash answered very happily.

"We're happy for the both of you," Cynthia replied. "We're ready to tell Mr. Goodshow the news. The battle will be on Saturday night."

"Is that alright with you? Is that enough time?" Lance asked with his tone lightening up.

"Yes and thank you guys so much for everything." Ash said to two of his idols.

"Not a problem there Ash," Cynthia kindly replied. The Sinnoh champion came close to whisper in his ear. "I hope you beat him tomorrow." She whispered as she walked away.

"Good luck then Ash." Lance said and then walked away. The Kanto and Johto champion pulled out his poke gear and called up Mr. Goodshow to inform him of the news.

While Misty was getting changed, she was watching the news and all of the sudden there was an outburst on TV.

"Breaking news from the Indigo Plateau," The news woman reported. "The long awaited championship battle will take place Saturday night between Ash from Kanto and Paul from Sinnoh!"

The red headed gym leader walked out of the door and saw her boyfriend and was ready to leave. They didn't even need to discuss about the recent news as they were both focused on their next task: taking down Paul.

XXX

A/N- That's chapter 39 and a very long chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! It was a very long chapter for me to write, but I'm happy on how it came out. Reviews and constructive criticism is appreciated! Next chapter will be the beginning of the battle between Ash and Paul! Next week I'll be on vacation so hopefully I'll be able to bang out the battle and post it during that time. So until next time, see ya!


	41. Chapter 40- Ash vs Paul- Part 1!

I'm working on this battle and hopefully it'll come out the best battle of the story! The battle will probably be split into two or three chapters, I'm not 100% though, but we'll see. I have some stories that I can recommend you guys: Gotta Catch ya Later by Bloodthirsty Omega, A Friends Work Is Never Finished by GhostNappa1214, and You Will Always Be My Best Friends by Mailman Dragonite. Stories one and three are rewrites of the last episode of season 5 where they all separate. And story 2 is another great pokeshipping one shot. So without further ado, here's chapter 40!

Chapter 40- Ash V.S. Paul Part 1- The Battle Everybody Waited For!

"Ladies and Gentleman, tomorrow night is the big night, the championship battle between Ash from Kanto and Paul from Sinnoh!" The television host began. "We're live at the Indigo Plateau main stadium as we get ready for the battle and break it down with our battle analysts John and Wayne!"

As they watched television in Ash's cabin in the village, Ash, Misty, and all of their closest friends were relaxing after a long day of training. The day after Ash and Misty got out of the hospital; everyone got together and helped the black haired trainer select his team. It was a long and difficult decision on who to use against Paul, but he was more than happy to listen to everyone's opinion.

As they continued to watch, Ash got really worked up on what they were saying about the Pallet Town trainer.

"Even though Ash beat Paul when it counted in the Sinnoh league a few years ago, I still feel that Paul's the better trainer." John spoke about the Kanto finalist.

"Come on!" Ash exclaimed at the television, making everyone in the room jump. "Sorry, it's just I hate how everyone thinks I'm the underdog and can't win."

"Then we shouldn't be watching this then." Misty said as she took the remote and turned off the TV.

"Ash, you shouldn't really care about what those people think." Brock chirped up as he turned to face his long time best friend.

"You know they're right Ashy boy. Everyone in this room knows that you're a great trainer." Gary spoke up.

"We're here to support you," May encouraged his Hoenn traveling partner.

"Yeah and we know that you can beat Paul!" Dawn finished for the Hoenn Coordinator.

"And that's all that should matter to you!" Iris added to keep the mood up while Cilan nodded his head in agreement.

"Thanks everybody." Ash replied whole heartedly towards his friends. _"I just wish I could believe that." _He thought negatively.

XXX

In another cabin was Paul, who was busy watching Battle Center. He was getting all the love from the battle analysts as they talked about his strict training schedule and how he overpowers Ash. Paul's older brother Reggie came to visit him, even though Paul wanted to be alone. He then turned his attention away from the television and grabbed the six pokeballs with the Pokemon he was going to use for the battle the next night.

"Do you feel confident with the Pokemon that you're gonna use?" Reggie asked his younger brother curiously.

"Yeah." Paul answered quickly and plainly.

Quickly after he answered, there was an awkward moment of silence between the two brothers. The older one was brave enough to keep the conversation going.

"Paul, I'm disappointed that you joined Team Rocket to win this tournament." Reggie said with a stern tone.

"I could care less." Paul hissed, turning to face his brother. "All I care about is winning and beating Ash."

"Why are you so hell bent on power and winning and beating Ash? Is that why you joined Team Rocket? Is that all you care about?" Reggie asked.

"Power's the only thing that matters when you want to win," Paul began to answer the series of questions his brother asked. "I joined Team Rocket to win the tournament and yes, winning is all I care about."

Reggie wasn't completely shocked because that's how the young Veilstone trainer always was: using overwhelming power and good strategy to defeat his opponent. But ever since Ash defeated him in the Lily of the Valley Conference quarterfinals, he questioned himself. Also with his troubled past, he'd always thought more power was the simplest solutions.

After listening to his younger brother's answer, there was still something that was bothering him. "But why did you help the champions and rescue Ash?"

Paul was getting tired of being pestered by the Pokemon breeder's questions, so he snapped at him. "Because I realized I can beat him without the help of Team Rocket!"

Reggie had enough of his brother. He was getting irritated with him. "I'm going to bed Paul. I'll see you tomorrow before your match."

"Do whatever you want." The purple haired finalist replied without even looking at his brother as he continued to stare and hold the pokeballs he was going to use, especially one in particular. He picked it up and began to use his fingers to move the pokeball around in his right hand. He began to grow a malicious smile as thoughts were coming to his head.

"_With this Pokemon, I'll be able to crush him with no problem." _Paul thought while smirking.

XXX

Today was the day: It was the final round of the tournament at the Indigo Plateau. The stadium was completely filled from the front row all the way back to the nose bleed seats. In the crowd were a lot of important figures including the Mr. Goodshow and the champions, who were in the VIP section of the stadium, all of the elite four members, who had their own reserved section, all of the Gym Leaders, who were scattered throughout the stadium and some of the competitors who decided to stay.

During the day, Ash had been busy doing last minute training and in doing so, he missed some incredible battles between some of the competitors, gym leaders, elite four members, and even a three on three battle between Alder and Cynthia.

The Pallet Town trainer and his starter Pokemon were in his locker room relaxing with his girlfriend before he had to go out onto the battlefield. He was pacing back and forth in the room and she could tell that he was extremely nervous. Nervous because that it was Paul he was facing and because it was the first time in his battling career he'd made it to the finals of any tournament.

"Ash, you've gotta calm down," Misty calmly said as she stood in front of him. "And you too, Pikachu."

"Sorry," Ash sheepishly replied while giving her a small smile. "Guess I'm a little nervous."

"Pika Pikachupi." The yellow mouse responded, repeating the same actions as his master.

"I can tell," She giggled. "But seriously, you can beat him. I know you can and all your friends know you can."

After Misty's mini motivation speech, Ash and Pikachu were able to calm his nerves a bit. This was one of the reasons why he loved her. She was the only one that could calm him down and make him feel better. Sure May, Dawn, and Iris were able to support him, but Misty's meant the most to him.

There moment was interrupted when the security guard walked in and said "Mr. Ketchum, it's time. We're ready for you now."

They couple sighed heavily as Ash replied "Okay." As the black haired trainer began to leave, Misty stopped him, leaving Ash confused.

"Uh, what's up Mist?" He questioned her.

"You forgot to turn your hat backwards." She answered seductively as she grabbed the brim of his hat and turned it backwards and then wrapped her arms around his neck. She then moved closer to him and whispered, "It's your good luck charm, remember?"

That sent chills up his spine. He couldn't believe that he'd stop turning his hat backwards in big battles that he used to do as a kid and that Misty remembered that he used to do that. It was just another one of those things that Ash loved about her. "Yeah I do." He whispered back. Before they broke, their lips met in a quick deep kiss.

"Now go out there and kick his ass." The red head whispered in his ear seductively.

"Thanks Mist." He quickly replied as he couldn't help but smile. Now they had to exit the locker room as Ash moved towards the tunnel and Misty walked towards the stands.

XXX

Paul had been doing nothing in his locker room except sitting in one of the lounge chairs and waiting for the start of the match. All he did was watch Battle Center on PTV as he lightly tossed up and down the same pokeball he held the night before. The security guard walked into his room to let him know that he needed to go to the stadium. The purple haired trainer nodded wordlessly as he got up and exited the locker room and walked towards the tunnel, ready to battle the person he hated for the longest time ever since his lost in Sinnoh.

XXX

Misty ran towards the section that Ash was lucky enough to reserve for his closest friends and family. They were located near the front of the battlefield as they were anticipating Ash's appearance.

"I can't wait until Ash gets on the field!" Dawn exclaimed happily, practically yelled in everyone's ear.

"He's gonna do great!" May exclaimed just as loudly, repeating the same actions as the blue haired young woman.

"He'll do more than great, he's gonna crush him!" May's younger brother Max exclaimed as well.

"May, Max!" Drew yelled at the sister, brother duo. "Can you not yell in my ear next time?!"

"Sorry 'bout that Drew." The sister/brother duo sheepishly apologized.

"Misty you saw Ash last, how's he doing?" Ash's mom Delia asked the gym leader, who she considered like a daughter.

"He was a little nervous at first, but I was able to calm him down." Misty answered with the upmost confidence.

"He needs to be calm in a situation like this but if I know Ash he'll be ready for this battle." Gary Oak added.

"I agree." Professor Samuel Oak agreed with his grandson.

"Ash beat him once and I know he can beat him again," Brock spoke. "But he does need to be careful."

"You're right Brock, he's tough." Dawn agreed with the Pokemon Doctor as they were the only two of the bunch to witness it live while everyone else watched it on television.

"I've faced him and got embarrassed." Tracey shamefully admitted.

"We all saw Tracey." Ritchie chirped up while sweat dropping.

"It's okay Tracey." Daisy encouraged her boyfriend.

"Yeah it's okay." Lily agreed with her blonde haired sister.

"Because Misty's little boyfriend will crush him!" Violet shouted out loud in no particular direction.

"You damn right he will!" The youngest Waterflower shouted happily back towards her older sisters.

"You're no fun to tease Mist." Violet told her with a disappointed.

"We missed teasing you about that." Lily informed her younger sister.

"Guys," Daisy interrupted her three other sisters. "The battle's about to start!" She informed everyone as the lights in the stadium shined in the darkness of the night.

XXX

Meanwhile on the other side of the stadium, Paul's older brother Reggie was sitting in the stands with his girlfriend, the Veilstone City gym leader Maylene, anticipating his brother to walk out.

"So how ya feeling about this?" The Pokemon breeder asked the pink haired gym leader.

She hesitated to answer because she never really liked Paul ever since he defeated her in the gym battle through his journey through Sinnoh. "Okay I guess."

"Look, I know you don't like him that much, but I do appreciate you being here and supporting me." Reggie told the Veilstone City gym leader.

"Anything for you, Reggie." She sweetly replied.

"And I know you'd rather root for Ash and that's fine by me." As he said this, Maylene felt the whole world just drop off her shoulders in relief.

XXX

"**Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Indigo Plateau for the final battle of the tournament!" **Rich from Pokemon TV announced as his voice boomed from the stadium speakers. As night fall approached, the lights in the stadium turned on, making it very bright and the battlefield visible to the crowd.

Ash was waiting at the end of the tunnel for his named to be called by the announcer. His nerves began to build up once again as he felt like he had Butterfrees the sizes of a Snorlax stuck in his stomach. He just wanted to get on the battlefield already. Pikachu looked up at the nervous trainer and began to share the same look.

When Ash noticed, he went back to being calm. "It's alright Pikachu, we can do it." He reassured his starter Pokemon.

Before they were allowed on the field, an Officer Jenny walked up to the finalist, while Ash gave her a confused look.

"What's going on officer?" The Pallet Town trainer asked the police officer.

"Well since Paul used Pokemon that weren't his, I'm going to use this to scan your pokeballs to see if they're yours." She explained, motioning the trainer to hand him her pokeballs. "It's not that I don't believe that these your Pokemon, but this is regulated by The Pokemon League and Mr. Goodshow."

Meanwhile Paul was his cool and calm while holding his usual scowl. He had his hands in his pockets and looked straight ahead, anticipating the moment that he would get his payback from the last time they battled. Another Officer Jenny approached him as she asked to see his pokeballs. He agreed as she took them one by one scanning them and all six of them were his.

"**And now, in the green corner, is a trainer who uses unorthodox strategies and sheer determination to win his battles, give it up for Kanto's own Ash Ketchum!"** Rich announced through the speakers.

The Pallet Town trainer swallowed a big lump in his throat as he and his starter Pokemon began to walk out of the tunnel and onto the battlefield upon hearing his name. As he did, he was blinded by the lights in the stadium for a brief moment. After getting over it, he walked towards his battle box. He looked around the stadium, soaking in the moment.

"KETCH-UMM! KETCH-UMM! KETCH-UMM!" He heard the majority of the crowd chanting his name and surprisingly calmed him down. The loudest section of the crowd was towards his right in the first two rows. The black haired trainer looked to see all his closest friends and family cheer him on the loudest.

"GO ASH! DO YOUR BEST!" Ash's mom cheered as loud as she could.

"DO IT FOR PALLET TOWN!" Professor Oak chanted loudly, which was unlike him as he was serious most of the time. They all guessed that it was the heat of the moment.

After to listening to the rest of his friends and family cheer there words of encouragement, Ash gave them all a thumbs up with Pikachu doing the same.

"**And now in the red corner, is the trainer who's known for using raw power to overwhelm his opposition. Give it up for Paul from Sinnoh!"**

As he walked out of his tunnel, he opened his eyes and gave Ash a death glare. If Paul's eyes were knives, Ash would be bleeding to death. The Veilstone City trainer didn't receive as much cheer as his opposition; in fact, he received boos from most of the crowd. Paul had been very popular in the news as of late because of his connections with Team Rocket. There had been many petitions and objections from the public about being allowed to battle, but obviously they've been over ruled by the PLA.

The referee stared down Paul while he stepped into his trainer's box. Once he did, the older gentleman cleared his throat and began to speak into the microphone clipped onto his collar. "This will be a full battle. Substitutions will be allowed at any time. The challengers will be battling on a plain battlefield. There will be no time limit." After he explained the basics of the battle, he looked back at the giant jumbo-tron as both their faces appeared in the picture slots, six mini circles for the Pokemon to appear, and a wheel split into eight sections, with four each being red and green. "Now we will see who will pick their first Pokemon." After he spoke, the wheel lit up and began to spin. It started very fast, but gradually slowed down. The crowd held in its breath as they saw the light stopped on a green slot, indicating that Ash had to pick a Pokemon first.

Over to Ash's right in the stands, where everyone was sitting, started to grow nervous as they knew that he had a disadvantage as he had to choose first.

"I wonder who Ash will send out first." Max was the first to speak, sounding intrigued and nervous at the same time.

"Whoever he sends out first better win him the first battle for him, otherwise he'll be at an even bigger disadvantage." The green haired coordinator spoke right after Max. After hearing his opinion, everyone wordlessly nodded their heads in agreement.

As Ash unclipped the first pokeball from his belt, he stared at Paul and felt a chill run up his spine as he saw the death glare he was given. He felt intimidated at first, but then calmed down as he looked at his pokeball and began to smile as he had complete confidence in this Pokemon to be able to deliver the crucial first win. "I choose you, Infernape!"

The Pallet Town trainer exclaimed as the fire/fighting chimpanzee came out of the pokeball. As the Flame Pokemon emerged, he began to beat his chest and screech as he was excited to be in this battle facing his former trainer.

The Veilstone City trainer took a moment to stare at his former Pokemon. He now regretted releasing the Sinnoh fire type starter. He then snapped himself back into reality as he picked up his first pokeball.

"Electivire, stand by for battle!" He hissed as the massive, yellow humanoid shaped Pokemon emerged from its pokeball. The Thunderbolt Pokemon saw who his opponent was and became angrier. Infernape did the same on the other side of the battlefield.

"**It looks like we're having a rematch of the last battle between these two Pokemon! Can Ash's Infernape win or will Paul's Electivire claim revenge?!" **

"The first battle is Infernape versus Electivire!" The referee announced. Meanwhile on the giant screen, the pictures of each Pokemon became visible in each of the trainers first small circle. Then he raised his flags as he said the famous words. "Let the battle begin!"

"Infernape use flamethrower!"

"Electivire use thunder!"

Both trainers didn't waste any time in trying to get the first move in on their opponent. The Flame Pokemon inhaled all the oxygen it could and unleashed a powerful stream of fire while the Thunderbolt Pokemon sent a powerful stream of electricity from its antennas on the top of its head. The two powerful attacks met in the middle of the stadium, creating an explosion powerful enough that both competitors had to shield their eyes.

Once the smoke cleared, both Pokemon stood tall on their respective sides of the battlefield, indicating that they didn't receive any damage.

"Get in close and use mach punch!"

"Counter him with thunderpunch!"

Both Pokemon didn't hesitate as they sprinted towards the center of the battlefield and began throwing their attacks. As Infernape swung at its opponent with its glowing fists, Electivire would counter with his electrocuted fists. It was nothing but a back and forth boxing match.

Although the yellow humanoid Pokemon had more power behind him, the fire/fighting chimpanzee had speed and enough power to counter Electivire's strength. Infernape kept dipping Electivire's powerful swings as the Flame Pokemon was only able to hit it with small jabs.

"Hit him already!" Paul shouted angrily at one of his most powerful Pokemon.

Electivire charged back his right fist and swung at Infernape's face. The Pallet Town trainer saw a rare opening that wouldn't usually occur with his opponent's Pokemon. "Dip down and use low kick!"

As the Thunderbolt Pokemon was about to get a huge hit, the Flame Pokemon was able to dip his opponents right cross and used his left leg to sweep the back of Electivire's right leg which was pivoted. There was nothing that the electric type Pokemon could do as he tensed up as he fell onto his back.

"Now use flamethrower!"

"Protect!"

When Infernape was exhaling fire from his mouth, Electivire put out his hands in front of him and was able to form a green circular shield, protecting itself from receiving any damage.

XXX

Up in the VIP booth, the champions were very impressed by the battle presented in front of them, especially Cynthia.

"Cynthia," Lance called her name as he never kept his eyes off the battle. "You saw these two battle in person. Why is it that they hate each other so much?"

"The main reason was because they both have very different opinions of raising their Pokemon." Cynthia began to explain to the red haired champion. "After Ash's victory over Paul in that battle two years ago, it seemed that Paul finally gave Ash the respect he deserved."

"But why does it seem to not exist now?" Steven asked, joining in on the conversation.

"I guess he still wants revenge for that loss, which is a huge disappointment." The Sinnoh Champion answered as best as she could.

The other three champions and Mr. Goodshow nodded in agreement with her last statement.

XXX

After Electivire protected himself from the flamethrower, the massive electric type was able to get himself back up and create some distance between himself and his fire/fighting opponent.

Paul knew that this battle wasn't going anywhere and he needed to do something to end it now. "Use giga impact!"

As soon as the black haired trainer heard those words, he knew that his Pokemon was in trouble if he didn't counter quickly. "Flare blitz!"

When the Thunderbolt Pokemon charged at its opponent, he became surrounded by a purple aura with orange streaks surrounding him. The Flame Pokemon repeated the same actions as its opponent, but instead he became engulfed in flames. The flames turned blue as he charged at his electric rival.

Both Pokemon collided into each other and caused an explosion that was larger than the first one, causing both trainers and the audience in the first few rows to cover their eyes. After the smoke cleared, both Pokemon were flat on their backs, but they weren't finished as they both attempted to get up.

"Come on Infernape, I know you can get up!" Ash encouraged the Sinnoh fire type starter.

"Electivire, you better get up now!" Paul hissed at one of his most powerful Pokemon.

They both struggled as they tried to use their arms to get up, they were shaking violently. Electivire and Infernape were both racing each other to see who could get up first. Luckily for the purple haired trainer, Electivire was winning as he was already in a sitting position while Infernape was still struggling to get off its back.

As the electric type finally got up on his feet, he began to taunt his opponent. This was déjà vu for the both trainers and Pokemon as they clearly remembered what happened last time. And unfortunately for Paul, history repeated after hearing a few more insults from Electivire. The Flame Pokemon stood straight up with little effort and the flame on atop of Infernape's head erupted like a volcano as its special ability blaze was activated, causing the crowd to cheer for the Pokemon's will power.

"Now use flamethrower Infernape!"

"Counter with thunder!"

The Thunderbolt Pokemon charged up and released a powerful jolt of electricity right at its opponent, but unfortunately, the Flame Pokemon's flamethrower attack was backed up by blaze and easily overpowered the attack as it went right through it and engulfed its opponent.

It was obvious to the crowd which attack was going to win. But once the smoke cleared from the attack they didn't expect to see that Paul's Pokemon was standing, even though it was burned and charred.

"**How did Electivire still standing after that powerful flamethrower?!"**

"Use giga impact!" Paul quickly commanded, catching Ash off guard for a second. And once again, Electivire sprinted forward and lunged, engulfing itself in a purple aura with orange streaks around it.

"Infernape, flare blitz!" Ash ordered back after seeing what was going on. And once again, Infernape engulfing itself in red flames, which turned into blue and shot at its opponent like a missile.

When both Pokemon collided, it created another huge explosion in the middle of the battlefield, causing both trainers and the crowd to shield their eyes from the dust. Once the smoke cleared, it was evident to everyone that both Pokemon weren't getting back up.

"Both Infernape and Electivire are unable to battle!" The referee called, raising both red and green flags in the air.

"**Unbelievable! Who knew that they had that much energy! And now with both trainers down one Pokemon, who will they use next?!"**

XXX

"Wow," Max marveled over Ash's Pokemon. "Even though I watched this battle on TV, it's so much better live!"

"Agreed," His older sister chimed in. "But it's also more nerve wracking."

"It's even more nerve wracking to see it live a second time!" Dawn spoke up.

"Don't be worried at all, he'll win." Misty interrupted the little group conversation. "Go Ash!"

"It looks like that Ash still has his little cheerleader with him." The young Pokemon researcher joked, making everyone giggle.

"What was that Gary?!" She seethed at Ash's old rival, making it look like that she was going to kill him.

XXX

Each trainer returned their fainted Pokemon, Ash praising his while Paul was just angry with his. Paul couldn't totally blame his Electivire as the purple haired trainer didn't think that his former Pokemon would be able to activate its blaze ability once again. To him, it was just sheer luck that this match was a draw.

He stared at Ash with a crooked smile as he grabbed and tossed his next pokeball, releasing his next Pokemon. "You remember this Pokemon don't you?"

Out of all the Pokemon Paul had, this was the one that he didn't want to see the most. The last time that he faced Paul's Drapion, he easily took out his Buizel, Staraptor, and Torterra with little difficulty. Ash didn't take him out until near the end of the match when his Gliscor hit him with a powerful giga impact and a crucial fire fang.

The Ogre Scorp Pokemon banged its two front claws together as it awaited for its opponent to reach the battlefield.

"What's wrong Ash, are you scared of this Pokemon?" Paul taunted his opponent.

"Not at all," Ash responded to the insult. "In fact, I was hoping you would use Drapion." Truth be told, he knew that he would see this Pokemon whether he wanted to or not. So he removed the next pokeball from his belt, thinking that this would be the perfect Pokemon for this situation.

When he tossed the pokeball, it released a large, green dinosaur like Pokemon that was notably taller and looked twice as ferocious. "Paul, say hello to my Tyranitar!"

"Wow!" May exclaimed in complete surprise.

"When did Ash get a Tyranitar?!" Max finished for his older sister.

To the Hoenn duo's surprise, no one else was that surprised except for Cilan, Iris, and Misty's sisters.

"He got it right before he finished the Johto portion of the qualifications." Brock answered for his two former Hoenn traveling partners.

"And I witnessed it battle as Ash got his two Sinnoh badges." The blue haired coordinator chimed in.

The Veilstone trainer growled in frustration as he didn't expect his opposition to have this kind of Pokemon. He stared at the Johto Pseudo Legendary as the two Pokemon on the battlefield glared at each other as they were ready for battle.

Ash was more than confident in his Tyranitar. Even he used him once in battle, he felt like he needed to get to know the Armor Pokemon even more. So he spent most of his training with Tyranitar and it didn't take long for Ash and the Johto Pseudo Legendary to get a grasp of each other.

The referee saw that both trainers and Pokemon were ready for battle as he raised his flags and announced the beginning of the battle, Ash was the first to call an attack. "Use stone edge!"

"Counter with pin missile!"

The Armor Pokemon surrounded himself with sharp stones and shot them directly at the purple scorpion while the Ogre Scorp Pokemon pointed his claws and tail at his opponent and shot poisonous stingers with white streaks surrounding them. When both attacks met in the center of the battlefield, it caused a mini explosion as the attacks were even in power.

Little did Paul know that that was Ash was counting for as he wasted no time in calling another attack. "Now use earthquake!"

Ash's Tyranitar obliged as he lifted up his foot into the air and stomped it onto the ground causing the whole stadium to shake. The expression on Paul's Pokemon's face was obvious that he was in pain.

The Veilstone City trainer was getting frustrated that the battle wasn't going his way. So after the powerful ground attack, he ordered his Drapion to use a giga impact attack. The Ogre Scorp Pokemon charged at his opposition covered in a purple aura with orange streaks.

On the other side of the field, Ash couldn't help but smirk as he ordered his Pokemon to hold his ground, leaving everyone in the stadium confused. Secretly he knew that his Pseudo Legendary was strong enough to hold up against the very powerful attack after all the training he put it through.

When the two Pokemon collided, there was the umpteenth explosion that they've seen all night. After the smoke cleared, the crowd was in complete shock as Tyranitar seemed completely unharmed by the attack and in fact, was holding Drapion by his two long arms.

"What?!" Paul exclaimed as he couldn't believe what he just witnessed. It was probably the strongest Tyranitar he'd ever seen in his life. "How did it do that?!"

"I put it through some _special_ training and the fact he's just a very strong Tyranitar." Ash responded. "Finish it off with fire fang!" The Armor Pokemon opened up its mouth and sunk its sharp, flame engulfed teeth into its opponent, leaving it burned. The Ogre Scorp Pokemon was left to burn on the battlefield as its lengthy body fell onto the ground, leaving it obvious that it could no longer battle.

"Drapion is unable to battle, Tyranitar wins!" The referee announced as he pointed the green flag towards Ash and his Pokemon.

"**And just like that, Drapion is out of the match! Who will Paul send in next?"**

This was like hearing nails on a chalkboard for Paul. He didn't expect the Pokemon that gave Ash the most trouble in their battle a few years ago to go down so easily. He returned the fallen poison/dark type and cursed it out under his breath. He reached for his next pokeball and observed it. The Veilstone trainer hoped that this was the Pokemon that could take out Ash's Tyranitar and turn the tides of this battle. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!"

The Hibernator Pokemon came out and released a vicious battle cry, indicating that it was ready for battle.

After the referee waved for the battle to begin, the purple haired trainer ordered his Ursaring to use a bulk up, increasing its attack and defense. Ash didn't want it to get stronger as he ordered Tyranitar to get in close. Once he did, the brown bear and the green dinosaur were having a battle of raw strength as they were pushing back and forth, not one of them giving an inch.

Seeing that this was going nowhere, Paul told his Pokemon to bear hug the Tyranitar, leaving Ash confused. "Now use hyper beam!"

The Pallet Town trainer heard the command and knew that it wouldn't end well for his Pokemon and needed to call a counter attack right away. He could order Tyranitar an attack to counter the hyper beam, but he needed to make Ursaring miss because that was more important at the moment. "Use crunch!"

Paul's Ursaring was almost done charging his attack as the black haired trainer called out his command. As the Hibernator Pokemon was about to release a point blank range hyper beam, the Armor Pokemon sunk his razor sharp teeth into the bear's neck. The result was Ursaring moving his head up in pain and releasing the powerful beam of raw energy straight up into the sky. And after releasing the attack, the brown bear released his grip and backed up a few steps, giving Ash an open opportunity to attack, or so he thought.

"Use stone edge!"

"Counter with hammer arm!"

Tyranitar was surrounded by razor sharp edges as Ursaring was to recover quickly from the aftermath of using hyper beam. As the Armor Pokemon released the stones right at his opponent, the Hibernator Pokemon was able to charge right through with his right arm glowing brilliantly. When he got close enough, he cocked back his arm and struck the armored covered dinosaur in his chest, causing him to fall back a lot of steps.

"Now use hyper beam!" Paul commanded.

"Use dark pulse!" Ash shouted, knowing that it would be the only way to counter the attack at a distance.

Both Pokemon quickly released their attacks and met in the center of the battlefield, Ursaring releasing an orange beam of raw energy while Tyranitar releasing streaks of dark energy. They kept pushing against each other until the other one gave up, but it didn't seem likely that either one would let up, leaving the winner a complete mystery.

"Come on Tyranitar! I know you can do it! Give it a hundred and ten percent!" Ash yelled, encouraging his Pokemon to do better.

"You better win this Ursaring!" Paul threatened his Pokemon to do better.

Each of them gave a last effort roar, pushing their attacks even more, which at the end, caused another explosion. When the smoke cleared, both Pokemon looked worn down. Both of the trainers ordered their Pokemon to get close to the other, in hoping in winning this battle with one final attack.

"Come on Tyranitar!" Ash exclaimed. "Ursaring doesn't have much left. Finish him off with a brick break!"

"Ursaring, he's tired and worn out!" Paul shouted from his side of the battlefield. "Another hammer arm will finish him off!"

They backed up to give each other enough room to deliver one more powerful blow. They each pulled back their fists and with all the energy they had left to spare, unleashed one last powerful blow. Ursaring's hulking hammer arm struck the armored covered chest of Tyranitar, while Tyranitar's brick break struck Ursaring's left cheek.

The finalists, live spectators, and television audience all held in their breath and felt fall down their faces. Even though it was still early in the match, it was a crucial one. If Ursaring lost, Paul would be down three Pokemon already and if Tyranitar lost, Paul would start to gain momentum and mount a possible comeback.

After one more breath from the Pokemon, Ursaring fell onto its knees and eventually its face while Tyranitar was able to stand. "Ursaring is unable to battle, Tyranitar wins!" The referee once again waved the green flag towards Ash's side of the field. Paul couldn't hold in his anger as he stomped his foot onto the ground. "And since Paul lost three Pokemon, there will be a fifteen minute intermission!"

"**And after an epic showdown between two powerful beasts, Tyranitar was able to come out on top! Now we'll be on a fifteen minute break, giving the trainers enough time to think over new strategies!"**

After both trainers heard the announcement of the break, they both returned their Pokemon and walked towards their respected locker room.

Everyone on Ash's cheering section heavily sighed in relief to see that Ash was in the lead, even though it may not last.

"This break could make or break this battle for Ash." Professor Oak analyzed.

"What do you mean Professor Oak?" Dawn asked the elderly Pokemon Professor.

"He means that it could stop Ash's momentum and give it right back to Paul." Gary answered for his grandfather.

"But that isn't gonna happen!" Misty rudely interrupted, shouting at everyone. Even though she didn't want to believe, she knew that it was possible. She'd been in battles where she had an advantage throughout the battle and lost in an instant like her last battle, which was against Paul.

XXX

That's chapter 40! I hoped you enjoyed the first part of this battle! It is 3:08 in the morning in sea isle city and I'm staying up late on my vacation to deliver you guys this chapter. Like I said earlier, I hope it lived up to the hype.

Will Ash continue his dominance against Paul, or will he find a way to mount a comeback? Stay tuned to find out!


End file.
